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HIV

Have you recently decided to start HIV treatment? Making the right decisions about your HIV treatment is one of the most important steps to keeping yourself healthy.

In order to develop a successful treatment program, it is important to know the goals of your treatment and discuss them with your healthcare provider.

Goals of HIV Treatment

So, what does a successful treatment program look like? A good HIV treatment program should accomplish these 3 key goals:

Keep your viral load low—the medication that you are taking should keep the level of virus in your blood as low as possible for as long as possible. A low viral load will prevent further damage to your immune system caused by exposure to HIV
Minimize and manage your side effects—the best treatment program is one that provides you the most benefit with the least side effects. You should also discuss ideas with your healthcare provider to help you cope with side effects. For more information on side effects and management, check out Side Effects of HIV Treatment
Preserve your immune system—anti-HIV medication helps to keep your CD4 cell count high. This is why it is so important to take your medication as directed and not miss a dose. To find out more about the impact of missing doses, check out Treatment Holidays