The antiretroviral treatment also known as ART and popularly called ARVs by many, is a treatment given to those living with HIV. The ARTs fight the HIV virus by obstructing the reproduction of the virus in the body. It is always advised for those recently infected, recently diagnosed and those who are aware of their HIV-positive status to take the treatment as soon as possible.
World Health Organisation (WHO) states that Anti-Retroviral Treatment is a lifelong commitment with the first months of therapy being the most important. Clinical and immunological improvement and viral suppression are expected when individuals adhere to ART, but opportunistic infections and/or immune reconstitution inflammatory syndrome may develop, as well as early adverse drug reactions, such as drug hypersensitivity, especially in the first three months of treatment.
WHO states that the treatment decreases death overall, but death rates are also highest in the first three months of ART. These complications are most common when people start ART already having advanced HIV disease with severe immunodeficiency and existing coinfections and/or comorbidities.
Conditions such as severely low haemoglobin, low body mass index and very low CD4 cell counts or are severely malnourished, may also lead to fatality. Poor adherence in this period is also associated with the risk of early treatment failure and rapid development of drug resistance.
Following are four reasons why you should start ART (ARV’s) as soon as you get your positive results provided by All Life.
- ARV’s give you an extended life.
- The treatment will lessen the risk for HIV-related and non-HIV-related health complications.
- Will help reaching a higher CD4 count and keeping it high.
- It will also reduce your risk of transmitting HIV to others.
