BEING HUMAN MEANS A SIMPLE LIFE WITH GOOD FAITH AND ACTION
ers the best chance for long-term treatment success
cult for
cult include:
culty taking medications (such as trouble swallowing
cult, including:
cult will
cult over time. So, every time you
What is treatment adherence?
What is treatment adherence?
Treatment adherence
means following your
treatment
regimen
closely every day—taking
the correct dose of each
anti-HIV medication at
the correct time and exactly as
prescribed. Adherence is
very important for successful HIV
treatment.
Why is adherence important?
Adherence aects HIV
treatment in two ways:
•
Close adherence to an HIV
treatment regimen allows anti-
HIV medications to work
eectively to reduce the amount
of HIV in the body.
Skipping medications, even
occasionally, gives HIV
the chance to multiply rapidly.
Preventing the virus from
multiplying is the best way to
protect your health.
•
Close adherence to an HIV
treatment regimen also helps
prevent
drug resistance
. Drug resistance
develops when
the virus mutates
(changes form), becoming “resistant” to
certain anti-HIV
medications. One or more anti-HIV
medications in a
treatment regimen can become ineective
as a result of drug
resistance.
Skipping medications
makes it easier for drug resistance to
develop. HIV can become
resistant to the anti-HIV
medications in a person’s
current regimen or to other, similar
anti-HIV medications not
yet taken, limiting options for
successful HIV treatment.
And drug-resistant strains of HIV
can be transmitted to
others, too.
ere are many dierent
anti-HIV medications and treatment
regimens, but studies
show that
a person’s rst regimen
o
ers the best chance for long-term treatment success
. And
good adherence from the
start is key to successful treatment.
Why is treatment adherence sometimes
difficult?
Adhering to an HIV
treatment regimen can be di
cult for
several reasons. Some
treatment regimens involve taking
several pills every
day—with or without food, or before or
after other medications.
Other factors that can make
treatment adherence di
cult include:
•
Di
culty taking medications (such as trouble swallowing
pills)
•
Side eects from
medications (for example, nausea or
diarrhea)
•
A busy schedule, shift
work, or travel away from home that
makes it easy to forget
to take pills
•
Being sick or depressed
•
Alcohol or drug abuse
What can I do to adhere to my HIV
treatment
regimen?
Before you start
treatment, be certain you’re committed to
taking anti-HIV
medications every day as directed. Talk to
your health care provider
about any issues that can make
adherence di
cult, including:
Possible side eects from
the anti-HIV medications in your
regimen
How other medications you
take may interact with your
anti-HIV medications
Your schedule at home and
at work
Any personal issues such
as depression or alcohol or drug
abuse
Lack of health insurance
to pay for anti-HIV medications
Understanding issues that
can make adherence di
cult will
help you and your health
care provider select the best regimen
for you. Some people nd
that adhering to an HIV treatment
regimen becomes more di
cult over time. So, every time you
see your health care
provider, make it a point to talk about
adherence. (See the
Following an HIV
Treatment Regimen
fact sheet for tips on
adherence.)
For more information:
Contact an AIDS
info
health information
specialist at 1-800
448-0440 or visit
http://aidsinfo.nih.gov
. See your health care
provider for medical
advice.
Terms Used in This Fact Sheet:
Drug resistance:
When HIV mutates (changes form),
causing one or more anti-HIV
medications to be
ineffective.
Regimen:
A combination of three or more
anti-HIV
medications from at least two
different drug classes.
Treatment adherence:
Closely following an HIV treatment
regimen—taking the correct dose of
each anti-HIV
medication at the correct time and
exactly as prescribed.
This information is based on the U.S.
Department of Health and Human Services’
Guidelines for the Use of
Reviewed
Antiretroviral Agents in
HIV-1-Infected Adults and Adolescents
available at
http://aidsinfo.nih.gov/guidelines
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