What is antiretroviral therapy (ART)?
Antiretroviral therapy (ART) is the use of antiretroviral (ARV) drugs to slow down the progress of HIV infection. ART is recommended for everyone who has HIV. ART helps people with HIV live longer, healthier lives and reduces the risk of HIV transmission.
What are the goals of Antiretroviral Therapy?
1) To ensure maximum and lasting control of the amount of HIV in a person’s body.
2)To restore and protect the immune functioning of the body by allowing the CD4 cells to replenish their numbers.
3)To reduce HIV related illnesses and deaths.
4) To improve the quality of life for people living with HIV/AIDS in the long run.
How do ARVs work?
Each type of ARV works at a different step of the HIV life cycle. A medical doctor will explain in detail how it works.
There is a need to take more than one ARV at a time in order for the treatment to be effective (a combination of different ARVs work more effectively against HIV).
For ARVs to be effective, they need to be taken strictly according to a medical doctor’s instructions (this is referred to as ARV treatment adherence).
How can one obtain ARVs?
ARVs are obtainable from all major pharmacies with a script from a medical doctor.
Individuals without medical aid can obtain ARV treatment from their local government clinic or hospital.