What is HIV? (cont.)
How do I get treated for HIV?
What’s the treatment for HIV?
While HIV cannot be cured, modern therapies and treatments are available that can help people with HIV live long, healthy lives. Antiretroviral therapy (ART) is a combination of medicines that slows down the effects of HIV in your body and can help you stay healthy for many years. It can also lower or even stop your chances of giving HIV to anyone else.
ART lowers an individual’s “viral load.” A person’s viral load is the amount of HIV in their body. If people with HIV stay in treatment, their viral load can get so low that HIV won’t appear on standard blood tests. When this happens, doctors refer to a person’s status as “undetectable.” When someone’s viral load becomes undetectable, they can’t spread HIV to others during sex.
Even though viral loads can become undetectable, HIV is still present in the body. If you fall out of care or stop treatment, your viral load can go back up. That will make it possible to pass HIV to your partner(s). Our AHF Healthcare Center providers and staff can help you find the best treatment plan for you and help keep your viral load low. It’s essential to stay in care to keep your viral load low and undetectable.
Paying attention to your lifestyle can help you stay healthy too. This means eating well, getting enough sleep, exercising, learning how to deal with stress, and avoiding alcohol, smoking, and drugs.
Undetectable = Untransmittable
ART lowers an individual’s “viral load.” A person’s viral load is the amount of HIV in their body. If people with HIV stay in treatment, their viral load can get so low that HIV won’t appear on standard blood tests. When this happens, doctors refer to a person’s status as “undetectable.” When someone’s viral load becomes undetectable, they can’t spread HIV to others during sex.
Even though viral loads can become undetectable, HIV is still present in the body. If you fall out of care or stop treatment, your viral load can go back up. That will make it possible to pass HIV to your partner(s). Our AHF Healthcare Center providers and staff can help you find the best treatment plan for you and help keep your viral load low. It’s essential to stay in care to keep your viral load low and undetectable.
Where can I get treated for HIV?
AHF Healthcare Centers offer high-quality, state-of-the-art HIV treatment. We also provide a well-rounded “circle of care” to meet all your needs. We’ve got you covered with convenient pharmacy locations, wellness centers, and specialty medicare programs. When you choose AHF for your HIV treatment needs, we make it easy to stay in care with appointment reminders, telehealth services, convenience packaging through our pharmacies, and more.
It’s fast and easy to make your first appointment with AHF. Find an AHF Healthcare Center near you and schedule an appointment today.
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