When to start HIV treatment
Starting treatment at the right time is the first step for people with HIV to prolong their life. In making treatment decisions it is important to consider quality of life issues, monitoring effects of treatment and how treatment regimens can best suit individual life-style and health needs.
Early treatment: In general, viral load and CD4+ cell count guide the decision of treatment. There are several arguments supporting starting treatment early. Most importantly, early treatment will prevent damage to the immune system right from the start. The CD4+ cell count is still relatively high and the risk of a major decline is reduced. However, if the early treatment fails, there is an increased risk of developing resistance which means further treatment options might be restricted. This early treatment strategy is still the subject of research.
Every dose, every time: The most important factor for successful therapy is sticking to the schedule. All medications have to be taken at the right time, in the right doses and in the proper way. The best response to antiretroviral medication is seen in people who take every dose regularly. Missed out doses or taking the wrong amount create the risk of drug resistance developing, which leads to the failure of the treatment.
Treatment guidelines: There are respected guidelines that help treatment decisions to be made. These regularly updated documents are available in many countries. However, they are merely suggestions based on the most recent research.
