HIV positive – Take extra precautions

2007/08/20

Living with HIV/Aids does not mean you have to isolate yourself from everyone, or lock yourself in your room, it simply means that while you can live a fulfilling life, there are some precautions and extra measures that you need to take.

The first measure that you have to think about is that of whether you should take Anti-Retrovirals (ART) now, or wait a while. This is a decision that each person must make on an individual basis, with the advice from their treating doctor.

If your HIV infection is making you ill, or you have what is called an Aids-defining illness such as TB, meningitis, shingles, weight loss, chronic diarrhoea or thrush, then you need to see your doctor to discuss the possibility of using ART.

The doctor will look at factors such as how long you have been infected with the virus, your CD4 count, and viral load. Your CD4 count determines how many illness-fighting bacteria you have in your system, and a viral load test will show the extent of HIV infection in your system.

If your CD4 count is near or below 200, which is the level at which your body is not strong enough to fight off every serious AIDS-defining illness, or is not able to stop your immune system from becoming rapidly weaker, then you will probably need to go onto ART.

The most important thing to remember about ART is that you need to be ready to take the medication and to live a healthy lifestyle. People living with HIV/Aids need to learn as much about the condition as possible, as well as the medication they will be taking, and what changes they need to make in their lives, such as different eating habits, sexual practices and so on.

When you start your ART, it is also a good idea to either join a support group or find someone who is able to support you and remind you to take your medication. In fact before you start taking any medication, you should find a support mechanism.

Effective anti-HIV treatment results in a fall in your viral load. Within about four weeks of starting HIV treatment, your doctor should test your viral load to see by how much it has fallen. The aim of ART in people who have never taken anti-HIV drugs before, is to get their viral load to undetectable levels within 24 weeks (6 months).  As your viral load falls, so your CD4 cell count should begin to slowly increase.

Another lifestyle change is that of the special precautions to take when engaging in sexual intercourse. It is extremely important that, whether you have the HI-virus or not, if you engage in casual sex you should always use a condom.

Condoms can prevent the spread of most Sexually Transmitted Infections (STIs) and can prevent you being re-infected with another strain of HIV. However, condoms only work if they are used properly. The packaging of most condoms contain instructions, and remember to use a water-based lubricant if needed, as oil-based ones weaken the latex in the condoms and can cause tiny tears. Condoms should never be reused, every time the man ejaculates, a new condom must be used, whether it’s with the same partner on the same night, different partners on the same night, or different partners on different nights. After using the condom remember to throw it away in a rubbish bin, do not flush condoms down the toilet.