How to Choose an HIV Treatment

Testing positive for HIV is one of the most devastating medical diagnoses a person can experience. While moving forward with one's treatment post-diagnosis can be a scary time, it can also be a time of hope, according to Elton Stovell, director of the Neighborhood House Association's HIV/AIDS Case Management program, which provides case management services, free of charge, to individuals infected with HIV or AIDS. Many of his clients have been living healthy lives with the virus for 20 years of more.

Davey Smith, M.D., is an assistant professor of Medicine at the University of California, San Diego and director of the school's Early Intervention program, which provides services to those who are newly-diagnosed with HIV. According to Smith, it is important that a newly-diagnosed individual feel empowered to take their health into their own hands when embarking on a treatment plan.

Instructions

• 1

  See an HIV specialist as soon as possible after your diagnosis. An HIV specialist is a physician, usually an internist, who has extensive experience in HIV and AIDS care. You can get a referral from the clinic where you received your diagnosis. According to Stovell, it is crucial to find the right HIV specialist for you as you will be working closely with this person throughout your treatment. He also suggests finding a specialist who works for a clinic that can also provide case management professionals, health experts and/or psychologists who can work one on one with you to deal with the emotional, psychological, health and lifestyle changes that come with an HIV diagnosis.

• 2

  Be honest with your doctor about any other medical conditions you have or have had, no matter how minor they may seem, as this can affect your treatment, says Stovell. These conditions include everything from cancer, diabetes and high cholesterol to mental health disorders and substance abuse.

• 3

  Visit your doctor for blood tests to determine your viral load and CD-4 counts (also known as T-cell counts). According to Smith, these numbers will give you a clear picture of the state of your health, including how much damage has been done to your organs and immune system and the likelihood of transmitting the virus to a partner. Your doctor will repeat these tests at regular intervals.

• 4

  Make certain your doctor also runs tests to see if you are carrying a strain of HIV that may be resistant to certain medications, which is a very common occurrence, says Smith. "Twenty percent of HIV-infected people in California alone have a resistance to at least one type of HIV medication, so it's extremely important to weed out ineffective medications at the get-go," he says.

• 5

  Research your financial options as soon as you have a clear picture of the state of your health. If you have health insurance, it is a good idea to learn what your insurance provider will cover before committing to a treatment regimen. "Unfortunately, HIV medications can be very expensive and not all prescriptions are covered by all providers," says Stovell. If you do not have insurance or any other means of funding your HIV care, talk to your doctor or case manager about government programs that can help you. Stovell adds that nobody who has HIV in the U.S. has to go without treatment due to inability to pay.

• 6

  Make a decision about your method of treatment. At this stage, you will not only choose what medications to start taking but you'll also decide if now is even the time to start taking them at all. "You and your doctor will look at the health of your immune system and, if your CD-4 and viral counts are still relatively good, you may decide to wait to take medication in order to avoid the various side effects caused by the majority of treatments or to avoid the development of therapy resistance, which is when the same drug, taken over a period of time, becomes less effective at combating the virus in your body," says Smith. "Or you may decide to be proactive and get started right away. It all depends on what you decide." Once you decide to start treatment, whether immediately or when there is a change in your counts, your doctor will help you build a medication regimen.

• 7

  Monitor your side effects. According to Smith, while most HIV medications have side effects, some are worse than others in certain individuals and you should work with your doctor to choose medications that work best for you. "Never stop a medication because you dislike the side effects without first talking to your doctor," he warns. "Stopping a medication is the best way to develop medication resistance."

• 8

  Learn constantly about HIV and AIDS and what you can do to stay healthy. Stovell agrees, "knowledge is power and new research on the disease comes out all the time. The more you are on top of these developments, the more you can take advantage of beneficial new treatments and breakthroughs."