Treatment and health

The aim of HIV treatment is to reduce the amount of HIV in your blood to undetectable levels, and to maintain those undetectable levels.

Controlling HIV in this way with treatment allows your immune system to return to optimal functioning and prevents onward transmission of HIV (this is also referred to as undetectable = untransmittable or U=U).

HIV treatment has advanced considerably in recent years, giving people with HIV more advanced treatment options than ever. With treatment, HIV is no longer regarded as a terminal illness and is instead considered a chronic manageable condition.

HIV treatment: ARV agents

Information on which HIV treatments are currently available under the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (PBS) in Australia are available from the ASHM website and via the PDF button below.

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Factsheet 1 – Review your HIV treatment

NAPWHA Treatment Factsheet 1: Are you on the best HIV treatment? There are so many different HIV treatments available today that everybody is now able to find a combination that is best for them.

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Factsheet 2 – HIV drug resistance

NAPWHA Treatment Factsheet 2: Can you avoid HIV drug resistance? There is not one type of HIV about but rather a large population of mixed viruses, some of which are drug-resistant.

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Factsheet 3 – HIV treatment clash

NAPWHA Treatment Factsheet 3: Are you heading for a treatment clash? Combined with HIV treatment, some drug combinations can cause serious side-effects and make one or both drugs ineffective or toxic.

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Factsheet 5 – HIV Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis (PrEP)

NAPWHA Treatment Factsheet 5: What does HIV Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis (PrEP) mean for people with HIV? PrEP is having a more profound and personal impact on our lives than we imagine.

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Factsheet 6 – How do HIV treatments really work?

NAPWHA Treatment Factsheet 6: There are five main families of HIV treatments currently available in Australia and each one attacks HIV in a completely different way. To understand how each treatment works, you also need to understand the life cycle that HIV goes through to replicate in your body.

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Factsheet 7 – How can you improve your time with the doctor?

NAPWHA Treatment Factsheet 7: Sometimes, we can leave the doctor’s clinic with more questions than when we arrived. But there are ways to prepare for your appointments so you can get the most out of them. In this factsheet, find out how you can improve your time with the doctor.

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Factsheet 8 – HIV Injectable Treatments

NAPWHA Treatment Factsheet 8: HIV treatments have come a long way since the early days of multiple pills, high doses and chronic side effects. Many of us are now able to take just one pill, once a day and carry on with life as usual. But some people find it difficult to take even one pill at the same time every day. We keep forgetting or simply don’t like doing it. That’s where the appeal of a monthly or two-monthly injection comes in.

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Factsheet 9 – Can people with HIV get life insurance?

NAPWHA Treatment Factsheet 9: Signing up for life insurance is complicated. Unlike health insurance, you need to disclose your HIV status and anything else that could affect their decision to insure you. Read about the considerations and tips in applying.

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Factsheet 10 – Is it worth getting health insurance?

What are the considerations when thinking about health insurance? Unlike with other forms of insurance, private health insurers cannot refuse to insure any person, and must charge everyone the same premium for the same level of cover. Read more about how to research which one may be right for you.

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