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What
is HIV Treatment?

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HIV Treatment

Also called antiretroviral therapy (ART)—is a combination of medications to treat HIV. If you’re diagnosed with HIV, it’s important to start treatment as soon as possible, ideally within the first 4 days of a positive HIV test.

ART works by stopping HIV from reproducing. It can reduce levels of HIV and keep your immune system healthy. Getting and staying on HIV treatment can help you live a long, healthy life.

How can HIV be treated?

There are two main types of HIV treatment:

Pills: The most common form, taken daily. Most people take one pill a day.

Shots: Also known as injectable ART or long-acting injectable ART, given monthly or less often, depending on your plan. Talk to your healthcare provider to see if injectable ART is right for you.

HIV treatment is available to all Philadelphians regardless of ability to pay!

Learn More

What is an

HIV Treatment

Regimen?

HIV treatment means taking Antiretroviral Therapy (ART) as prescribed by your doctor. Your doctor may refer to the medications you take as your HIV treatment regimen.

There are currently more than 30 HIV medicines approved by the U.S Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to treat HIV infection. Most regimens are one pill a day.

You can learn more about treatment regimens here.

What are the side effects of HIV treatment?

You might experience side effects when starting HIV treatment, but most people do not. The most common side effects are mild and resolve quickly and include:

  • Nausea or vomiting
  • Diarrhea
  • Trouble sleeping
  • Dry mouth
  • Rash
  • Dizziness
  • Fatigue
  • Pain at injection sites (for shots)
Smiling doctor in white lab coat

What is an

HIV Treatment

Regimen?

HIV treatment means taking Antiretroviral Therapy (ART) as prescribed by your doctor. Your doctor may refer to the medications you take as your HIV treatment regimen.

There are currently more than 30 HIV medicines approved by the U.S Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to treat HIV infection. Most regimens are one pill a day.

You can learn more about treatment regimens here.

Smiling doctor in white lab coat

What are the side effects of HIV treatment?

You might experience side effects when starting HIV treatment, but most people do not. The most common side effects are mild and resolve quickly and include:

  • Nausea or vomiting
  • Diarrhea
  • Trouble sleeping
  • Dry mouth
  • Rash
  • Dizziness
  • Fatigue
  • Pain at injection sites (for shots)

If you experience any of these, talk to your provider. They can help you manage or adjust your treatment.

What are the benefits of HIV treatment?

There are many reasons why starting HIV treatment is beneficial:

HIV treatment keeps you healthy

  • HIV treatment helps prevent health problems so you can lead a long, healthy life.

HIV treatment reduces your viral load

  • Viral load is the amount of HIV in your body.
  • If your viral load drops after starting ART, it means the treatment is working!
  • ART can lower your viral load to the point where it can’t be detected by a test. This is called an undetectable viral load.
  • The goal is to reduce your viral load to undetectable (less than 20 copies per milliliter).

HIV treatment prevents transmission to others

  • If your viral load is undetectable, you cannot transmit HIV through sex. This is called undetectable = untransmittable (U=U).
  • An undetectable viral load also reduces the chance of HIV transmission through shared injection drug use.
  • For pregnant people, the chance of passing HIV to the baby is less than 1 in 100 if they maintain an undetectable viral load during pregnancy and childbirth and give the baby HIV medicine for 4-6 weeks after birth.
  • Studies show that HIV treatment IS prevention: When one partner is undetectable, there’s no observed HIV transmission in couples where one partner is HIV-positive, and the other is HIV-negative.

Taking your medication as prescribed prevents drug resistance

  • Drug resistance happens when HIV medication isn’t taken as prescribed, allowing the virus to mutate. This can limit your treatment options.
  • HIV transmission is more likely with drug-resistant strains of the virus.

Want to Learn More about HIV?

Check out these other pages:

Newly Diagnosed

Learning you’re HIV positive can be scary but you’re not alone. We can walk you through what to do next. Learn more

Paying for HIV Care

Get HIV care and support regardless of your ability to pay. Learn more

Stigma

Learn about HIV stigma and how to challenge it. Learn more

Know your Rights

If you’re HIV positive you have the right to live a life free of discrimination. Find out how you’re protected. Learn more

Getting into Care

Know what to expect when you start care. Learn more

HIV Resource Finder

HIV Resource Finder

HIV Resource Finder

For additional HIV care and support services, including food delivery, help paying for medication, mental health support, housing, and more, try our resource tool.

Find HIV Care Resources
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More Resources

Treatment | Living with HIV | HIV Basics | HIV/AIDS | CDC

HIV Treatment: The Basics | NIH

What to Start: Choosing an HIV Treatment Regimen | NIH

HIV Treatment as Prevention: TASP Prevention of HIV/AIDS | HIV.gov

HIV Undetectable=Untransmittable (U=U), or Treatment as Prevention

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Events

If you do not have a case manager, please reach out to the Health Information Helpline at 215-985-2437 to be assigned a case manager and/or to get help finding assistance.

Consejos de usar el buscador de recursos:

  • Buscador: Teclea una palabra o frase en la casilla de búsqueda. Si teclee más que una palabra, se buscará cada palabra individualmente. Por ejemplo: Buscar “alimentos” o “banco.” Frases incluidos en comillas mostrarán resultos para la frase. Ej. Busca “banco de alimentos.”
  • Filtro: Si la búsqueda produce demasiados resultados, aplica un filtro. Ejemplo: busca “banco de alimentos” Y selecciona “condado de Filadelfia.”
  • Orden de los resultados de búsqueda: resultados estan ordenado por relevancia.
  • Empezar de nuevo: selecciona “Reiniciar” para reiniciar la búsqueda y filtros.

Definiciones de términos

  • Administración de casos médicos, incluidos los servicios de adhesión al tratamiento

    Ayuda para facilitar las necesidades de atención médica y salud mental de personas con VIH, proporcionando además servicios de apoyo.

  • Asistencia financiera de emergencia

    Ayuda a corto plazo para cubrir necesidades de emergencia, incluidos los servicios públicos, la vivienda y el transporte.

  • Asistencia financiera de emergencia para farmacia

    Ayuda para el pago de medicamentos.

  • Atención ambulatoria por consumo de sustancias

    Tratamiento por el consumo de drogas o alcohol en un consultorio u oficina clínica.

  • Atención de salud oral

    Cuidado dental.

  • Banco de alimentos / Comidas a domicilio

    Ayuda para obtener alimentos, ya sea en un banco de alimentos o con entrega a domicilio.

  • Educación en salud / Reducción de Riesgos

    Información y educación sobre cómo se transmite el VIH y cómo atender sus necesidades de salud.

  • Especialidad en adolescentes edades de 12 a 24

    Esta agencia se idenfica como proveedor de servicios para personas de 12 a 24 años de edad. La agencia puede proveer servicios para gente de otras edades.

  • Línea directa del Centro de excelencia PEP

    Línea directa para obtener medicamentos que previenen el VIH después de una exposición.

  • Prueba del VIH

    Prueba de VIH disponibles en un servicio de atención sin cita previa.

  • Servicios de atención primaria

    Servicios médicos de atención primaria disponibles independientemente de la capacidad de pago, el estado del seguro o el estatus migratorio.

  • Servicios de atención y apoyo para el VIH

  • Servicios de prevención de sobredosis

    Servicios para prevenir la transmisión del VIH relacionada con el consumo de sustancias.

  • Servicios de prevención del VIH

  • Servicios de reducción de daños

    Servicios para prevenir la transmisión del VIH y las sobredosis. Los servicios incluyen el intercambio de jeringas usadas por nuevas, con el fin de prevenir el VIH y otras enfermedades transmisibles.

  • Servicios de salud ambulatorios / externos

    Atención médica para el VIH en consultorios u oficinas clínicas.

  • Servicios de salud mental

    Un consejero u otro profesional que lo ayude a abordar problemas de salud mental.

  • Servicios de salud sexual sin cita previa

    Atención en salud sexual, pruebas de STI y pruebas de VIH en una clínica de atención sin cita previa.

  • Servicios legales

    Ayuda por parte de un abogado.

  • Servicios lingüísticos

    Traducción de idiomas para el médico u otro proveedor de servicios.

  • TelePrEP

    Acceso en línea y por teléfono a medicamentos para prevenir el VIH.

  • Terapia de nutrición médica

    Asesoramiento de un profesional autorizado sobre qué comer según las necesidades médicas específicas y ayuda para obtener alimentos o suplementos nutricionales (como Ensure).

  • Transporte médico

    Transporte hacia citas médicas.

  • Vivienda de transición

    Ayuda para el pago de la vivienda destinada a personas con VIH que están sin hogar o enfrentan inseguridad habitacional.

  • Vivienda Ryan White

    Ayuda a corto plazo para pagar la renta.

Term Definitions

  • Adolescent Specialty Age 12 to 24

    Agency has identified itself as a provider of services specifically for the age group from 12 to 24. The agency may also provide services for other age groups.

  • Emergency Financial Assistance

    Short-term help paying for an emergency need, including utilities, housing, and transportation.

  • Emergency Financial Assistance Pharmacy

    Help with paying for medication.

  • Food Bank/Home Delivered Meals

    Help with getting food, either at a food bank or delivered to your home.

  • Harm Reduction Services

    Services to prevent HIV transmission and overdose. Services include exchange of used syringes for new syringes in order to prevent HIV and other communicable diseases.

  • Health Education/Risk Reduction

    Information and education on how HIV is transmitted and how to take care of your health needs.

  • HIV Care and Support Services

    These are services that are sometimes called “Ryan White Services.” They are services to provide HIV care or other assistance to individuals with HIV.

  • HIV Prevention Services

    These services are meant to help prevent HIV transmission. Some services are specific to people who are HIV negative, and other services are available regardless of HIV status.

  • HIV Testing

    HIV testing in a walk-in setting.

  • Legal Services

    Help from a lawyer.

  • Medical Case Management, including Treatment Adherence Services

    Help facilitating healthcare and mental health needs for people with HIV while providing support services.

  • Medical Nutrition Therapy

    Advice from a licensed professional about what to eat for a specific medical need and help getting food or nutritional supplements (such as Ensure).

  • Medical Transportation

    Transportation to medical appointments.

  • Mental Health Services

    A counselor or other professional to help deal with a mental health problem.

  • Oral Health Care

    Dental care.

  • Outpatient/Ambulatory Health Services

    HIV medical care in an office or clinic.

  • Post-Exposure Prophylaxis for Non-Occupational Exposures (PEP COE)

    A hotline to find medicine to prevent HIV after an exposure.

  • Primary Care Services

    Primary medical care services available regardless of ability to pay, insurance status, or immigration status.

  • Ryan White Housing

    Short-term help paying rent.

  • Substance Abuse Outpatient Care

    Drug or alcohol treatment at an office or clinic.

  • TelePrEP

    Online and phone access to medicine to prevent HIV.

  • Transitional Housing

    Help paying for housing for people with HIV experiencing homeless or with housing insecurity.

  • Walk-In Sexual Health Services

    Sexual health, STI testing, and HIV testing in a walk-in clinic.

Tips for searching this Resource Finder:

  • Search: Type a word or phrase into the keyword search field to view results. Multiple words entered into the field will be searched independently. Example: Search for: “food” or “bank”. Phrases enclosed with quotation marks will show results for the whole phrase. Ex. Search for “food bank”.
  • Filter: If a keyword search returns too many results, refine it by adding filter terms using the dropdown pickers and checkboxes. Example: Search for “food bank” AND Philadelphia county.
  • Order of results: Results are listed by relevance.
  • Start over: Reset the search and filters by pressing the Reset button.