Everything You Should Know About HIV Treatment

There’s no cure for HIV but it can be managed effectively with medication. That’s why you must stick to the regimen that your doctor establishes for you. However, knowing that something is good for you doesn’t always mean it’s easy to do it. Let’s look at everything you need to know about being treated for HIV.  HIV Treatment Options Once you’ve been diagnosed with HIV, you’ll start what is known as anti-retroviral therapy (ART). The combination of drugs that you’ll need to take can vary. Still, your choices include non-nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitors (NNRTIs), nucleoside or nucleotide reverse transcriptase inhibitors (NRTIs), protease inhibitors (PIs), integrase inhibitors, and entry or fusion inhibitors.  Generally, you’ll take pills but shots are available once you’ve satisfied the relevant criteria. These shots are long-acting and must be administered by your doctor monthly. To qualify for the shots, however, you need to be virally suppressed or have an undetectable viral load for a minimum of three months. You also need a history of taking your medication as prescribed and no allergies to the ingredients in the shot.  Potential Side Effects As with many medications, HIV treatment can have a few side effects. Some of these are...