ART

Antiretroviral therapy

I’m ending AIDS with ART

If you are living with HIV, and haven’t started treatment yet, we suggest you start as soon as possible. Because of modern medicines, most people with HIV live healthy, active lives, and do not spread the infection to others.

Starting Antiretroviral Treatment (ART) early increases your chances of reaching an Undetectable Viral Load (UVL). HIV cannot be transmitted to people who are on ART and have an Undetectable Viral Load for at least six months. This is significant because, before, ART was only used to treat HIV, but it is now used to prevent HIV, as well!

REMEMBER Viral loads can fluctuate, so even if you have a UVL, it is still important to use other prevention methods, such as condoms etc.

What is Antiretroviral Therapy?

The drugs used to treat HIV are known as Antiretroviral Treatment (or Antiretroviral Therapy – ART). It is NOT a cure for HIV, but it is really good at keeping HIV under control.

Some Basics

  • You only take one or two pills a day.
  • Less toxic and fewer side effects than before.
  • Undetectable Viral Load (UVL) possible for most people.
  • UVL doesn’t mean no HIV, just very low levels that aren’t easily transmissible.
  • Treating early increases effectiveness of the treatment.

For the HIV medication to work properly it is critical to take it exactly as instructed. To work correctly, a specific amount of medication must be present in your bloodstream at all times. Your doses are closely monitored to ensure that this occurs throughout the day.

How Does ART Work?

ART works by keeping the level of HIV in your body low – this is also known as your viral load. This allows for your immune system to recover and stay strong.

With good healthcare and treatment, people with HIV are living just as long as people who don’t have HIV. They have relationships, they marry, they work, they study and they have a family, they make plans for their life, just like they did before having HIV. But remember, if you stop taking your medication then your viral load will go back up again, and you will get sick.

 

Understanding Undetectable Viral Load (UVL)

When Antiretroviral Treatment has reduced the level of virus in the body to such low levels that blood tests cannot detect it, a person living with HIV has an Undetectable Viral Load (UVL). This usually takes a minimum of six months of ART.

Why is it important?

Many people can achieve UVL if they stick to their Antiretroviral Treatment. If you have UVL, then there is minimal risk of you transmitting HIV to others, and your health will not be affected by HIV.  It is important to stay on your ART all the time because if you stop taking your medication then your viral load will go back up again.

(U = U) UNDETECTABLE = UNTRANSMITTABLE

Who Can This Work For?

Most people, but not everyone, can achieve an Undetectable Viral Load. Some people just find it tricky to find an Antiretroviral Treatment plan that works for them.

Even if you aren’t able to achieve an Undetectable Viral Load, you must still stick to your treatment plan, because keeping your viral load as low as possible will help reduce the harmful effects of HIV and will help you stay healthy. If your viral load is not suppressed it is even more important that you always use condoms, and your partner(s) should seriously think about taking PrEP to keep themselves HIV-negative.

Treatment as Prevention

Treatment as prevention (TasP) refers to HIV prevention methods that use Antiretroviral Treatment (ART) to decrease the risk of HIV transmission (U=U).

ART can reduce the HIV viral load in an individual’s blood, semen, vaginal fluid and rectal fluid to such a low level that blood tests can’t detect it. When this happens, it is described as an ‘undetectable’ viral load or viral suppression.

  1. As someone’s viral load remains undetectable, their health will not be affected by HIV and they cannot transmit HIV to others.
  2. Viral suppression can only be confirmed if a person is accessing regular treatment support, monitoring and viral load testing from a healthcare professional.

ART as a prevention tool is now undisputed and is being used as an HIV intervention together with patient-specific strategies.