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Myths and realities of starting HIV treatment
What your lab tests mean
Treatment choices

Goals of HIV Treatment

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Today there are over 30 HIV drugs. HIV treatment is helping people with HIV live longer lives. But making the choice with your healthcare provider to be on treatment — whether you're just starting or have been on it for a while — requires your will power. HIV treatment requires taking your meds every day.

There are goals of HIV treatment that are generally accepted by leading medical experts and public health officials. According to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, some of the primary goals for starting HIV treatment are:

  • Keep your viral load as low as possible for as long as possible
  • Protect your immune system, which includes your CD4 (T-cell) cells
  • Improve the quality of your life
  • Lower the risk of serious HIV-associated illnesses and extend survival

Two Key Goals of HIV Treatment

Keeping your viral load down

Your meds were made specifically to fight HIV and to keep the virus from multiplying. So you want your viral load, the amount of HIV virus in a sample of blood, to be at an undetectable level. And you want it to stay at that level for as long as possible. A viral load either less than 400 or less than 50 copies/mL depending on which test is used is considered “undetectable.” Undetectable does not mean your HIV infection is gone. It means that the small amount of HIV in your blood is too low to be measured with current tests.

Protecting your immune system

When your meds are working well against HIV, the virus cannot do as much damage to your immune system. This lets your immune system maintain or raise the number of CD4 (T-cell) cells in your body. You want to have a high CD4 cell count. A CD4 (T-cell) cell count above 500 cells/mm3 is normal for adults.

Improving the quality of your life

A goal of HIV treatment is to improve the quality of your life. It's important to feel the best you can.

Think about what is most important to you in your life:

  • What do you plan for?
  • What do you hope to accomplish?
  • What do you like to spend time doing?

Lowering the risk of getting very sick

Treatment early in the disease may slow down HIV from developing into AIDS. It may also help you live a longer life. The fewer CD4 (T-cell) cells you have, the weaker your immune system can be. HIV treatment may increase or at least maintain the number of CD4 (T-cells) cells you have. This may help your immune system fight off opportunistic infections.

Ways to help achieve your treatment goals

  • Work with your doctor to carefully select the treatment regimen that best fits you and your lifestyle. Your healthcare provider will think about several factors. These include:
    • Number of pills
    • How often pills must be taken
    • If pills can be taken with or without food
    • How the meds interact with each other
    • Other medicines you take
    • Other conditions or diseases you have
    • If you are pregnant
    • Results of your drug resistance tests
  • Take your HIV meds every day exactly as prescribed
  • Ask your doctor for help if you have any difficulties with your meds
  • Always talk with your doctor before you make any change to your treatment plan or schedule

If you have trouble reaching your treatment goals, talk to your doctor. Today there are many choices of HIV meds, and by working with your doctor you should be able to find an effective treatment that is right for you.

Next: Treatment Choices