On A Positive Note: The Truth About ARV Treatment

The 21^st Century is about realizing that when one is diagnosed with HIV, it is not the end of the world. There is stigma attached to having the virus and one can live a longer and healthier life with the use of antiretroviral drugs.

Every person in this country has a responsibility to protect themselves and others from the spread of HIV, to know their status and seek appropriate care and support when diagnosed with the virus. According to Nozuko Msongelwa, A pharmacist of Provincial Hospital in Port Elizabeth, she says it is wise to treat your sexual partner as a potential HIV positive person until their status is known to you. “No matter how long your relationship has been, if you have not yet tested together as a couple then you must stay on condoms” she says. However, this statement does not necessarily mean that is you find out that you are both negative then you should stop using them. It is extremely vital to use condoms at all times.

Our society tends to be ignorant when it comes to HIV / AIDS. We think an HIV positive person will probably be on a ‘death bed’ and not be healthy, of which this is untrue. A person may contract the virus five years ago or more and still look healthy, reason being that the virus itself is slow to progress in his or her body. In other cases the person’s immune system takes longer to go down, but the sad part of this situation is that the healthy looking person could be HIV positive and possibly infect others because it is not written in their face or body that they have the virus. “Looking healthy doesn’t mean you are not HIV positive until proven by an HIV test” Msogelwa says.

Msongelwa advises everybody to make HIV testing part of your package when you enter new relationships. “Always take precautions, say no to unprotected sex and in condom use without compromise” she says. On a positive note, when diagnosed with HIV there is a guarantee to live a normal and healthy life. Antiretroviral drugs are available for all HIV positive people and they have been calculated to extend life expectancy in people on Antiretroviral Therapy by 35 years and more. Msongelwa says that ART (Antiretroviral Therapy) has improved the quality of life in individuals and has also prevented mother-to-child transmission of the virus. This has resulted in many HIV negative babies born from HIV positive couples. The 2010 guidelines have come up with safe ART convenient regimes.

Another advantage on the use of ARVs is that they prevent HIV infection when an individual is exposed to it through needles or sexual assault, for example rape. Following such exposure, ARVs prevent the risk of an individual becoming HIV positive, but the important response in this case is to seek help within 72 hours after the incident.

“If a person is tested positive, there is no stigma to this. The only stigma is when one doesn’t seek early intervention until the virus starts to set in” Msongelwa says. One must decide immediately on committing themselves to ART, knowing that the success of this intervention will require the following:

Support System:

In many cases, when a person diagnosed with HIV decides to disclose to their family, especially parents, then ARV treatment success is guaranteed. These are the people who will love you, care for you, support and encourage you.

Adherence to Treatment:

The amount of virus in the blood is not detected on screening or through a test; therefore the blood must always have enough concentration of the ARV drugs. In order to do this, one must take the ARV drug 12 or 24 hourly and the drug will stay in the system for that time depending on the time the drug is taken. This should be repeated on a 12 or 24 hour basis, if not this might lead to drug resistance and cause illness.

ART is a long term commitment and the condition of having HIV is then treated on the same principle as chronic diseases like diabetes, hypertension or heart disease. One needs to adjust and adapt to a proper lifestyle.

Msongelwa suggests that HIV positive people must be knowledgeable about their condition and research about new developments, new successes and even best treatments. They should consult experts in this field and the most important thing to know is that your condition is not life threatening, but is manageable.

The message she gives to HIV positive people is that they should not give up on their career or progress in life because ARVs prolong one’s life. “Do not stop what you are doing, do not change jobs or end relationships because of your status and nothing should stop you from getting married. Be strong and encouraged: she says.