HIV Treatment
If you or someone you know test positive for HIV, there are plenty of options available to help you manage the virus and prevent others from contracting it. Different HIV treatment medications exist so that someone who is HIV-positive can keep their immune system healthy and functioning, and can still live a long life. Fortunately, there are multiple locations in the metro Atlanta metropolitan area that offer HIV treatment, other resources and support.
Frequently Asked Questions
Modern HIV treatment uses antiretroviral therapy. This involves a combination of medications taken daily or as long-acting injections. Treatment lowers the amount of virus in the blood. With ongoing care, people with HIV live long and healthy lives.
Antiretroviral therapy is highly effective when taken as prescribed. It reduces the virus in the blood to very low levels. This prevents disease progression and prevents HIV transmission through sex. Missed doses can lead to resistance or higher viral levels.
When someone takes HIV treatment and reaches an undetectable viral load, they do not pass HIV to sexual partners. This is known as Undetectable equals Untransmittable (U=U). Treatment as prevention lowers community transmission.
Treatment starts as soon as possible after diagnosis. Early treatment protects the immune system and improves long-term health. Starting early also reduces the chance of passing the virus to others.
Undetectable means the amount of virus in the blood is too low for standard tests to measure. Virally suppressed means the virus is controlled below a clinical threshold, often under 200 copies per milliliter. People who stay undetectable with ongoing treatment do not transmit HIV through sex.
An HIV test checks for the presence of HIV in someone who does not know their status. A viral load exam measures how much virus is in the blood of someone who already has HIV. Viral load guides treatment success.
After starting treatment, viral load is checked within the first one to three months. Once suppressed, tests happen every three to six months. Some people with stable suppression and good adherence test less frequently with clinician guidance.