ENGLISH
You have just found out you have HIV
You have just found out you have HIV
What happens after diagnosis?
01
Will there be any side effects?
06
How will I know if the treatment is working?
07
What should I tell the healthcare team?
02
What is U=U?
08
03
Why and when should I start treatment?
What are my rights as a patient?
09
04
What form does treatment take?
What can I do if I think I am being subject to discrimination in the hospital?
10
How should I take my medication?
05
11
Other tips
01
What happens after diagnosis?
After you are diagnosed with HIV, you should be referred to a hospital. The hospital will run blood tests to determine your viral load and CD4 cell count, which indicate the status of your immune system. You will also be tested for other diseases such as tuberculosis or sexually transmitted infections (STIs) and vaccinations may be recommended.
02
What should I tell the healthcare team?
• Whether I have any other illnesses or barriers to taking medication• Whether I take other drugs, herbs or substances• Whether I drink alcohol • Whether I want to have children• Whether I need psychological or social support
03
04
What form does treatment take?
Why and when should I start treatment?
Antiretroviral treatment will reduce the HIV in your body to a very small amount. This will prevent you from becoming sick from the virus. You should start treatment as soon as possible after diagnosis. There are different treatment options. Talk to your medical team to establish the best option for you.
It is generally a tablet that you take once a day. Although it is just one pill, it contains a combination of several antiretrovirals (anti-HIV drugs). Injectable treatments are also starting to become available. These would be injected once every few months. Talk to your healthcare team to determine the combination that best suits your personal needs.
05
06
How should I take my medication?
Will there be any side effects?
You should take your medication every day, at the prescribed time, and follow any dietary recommendations. This is crucial for the treatment to work. Some treatments are administered by injection. If this is the best option for you, the injection will be given at the hospital, and you will be told when to come in for each dose.
At first you may have a headache or feel dizzy or nauseous. These effects are usually mild and disappear. If they are severe or lasting, inform your healthcare team. There are ways to help you with these effects. Treatment may also be changed to suit you more.
07
How will I know if the treatment is working?
The best way to know whether treatment is working is to watch your viral load. If your viral load drops to undetectable, then the treatment is working. It also probably means that your CD4s (your defences) are stable or increasing. When you have an undetectable viral load, HIV cannot be passed on to your sexual partners (see ‘What is U=U?’).
08
What is U=U?
Treatment not only protects your health but also helps to protect your sexual partners. Treatment will reduce the HIV in your body to an ‘undetectable viral load’, which means the virus cannot be passed on to other people during sex. This is what is known as ‘Undetectable = Untransmittable’ (U=U).
09
What are my rights as a patient?
You have the right to be kept informed about your health, access your medical records, choose or change your doctor and protect the confidentiality of your data.
10
What can I do if I think I am being subject to discrimination in the hospital?
You can file a complaint with the patient care service, or with your local ombudsman, or take legal action. No one may discriminate against you on any personal or social grounds.
09
Other tips
Regular physical exercise will help you to improve your health and quality of life.
Cutting down on smoking or, better still, not smoking at all, will have a very beneficial impact on your overall health.
Getting enough sleep and rest will give you the energy you need to go about your daily life.
Talking to other people with HIV can be helpful when adapting to the infection and accepting it as normal.
A balanced diet with plenty of fruit and vegetables and low in animal fats will help you to stay healthy.
SUBVENCIONA
COLABORA
Descargo de responsabilidad
La información contenida en esta ficha no pretende sustituir la recibida por el médico. Las decisiones referentes a la salud siempre deberían tomarse tras consultar con los profesionales sanitarios. La información médica puede quedar desactualizada con rapidez. Si te surge alguna pregunta tras leer esta ficha, te aconsejamos hablar con tu médico o enfermera o llamar a gTt-VIH, al 93 458 26 41, para comprobar si existe alguna novedad relevante al respecto.
ENGLISH_Infovih_Have HIV
GTT
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Transcript
ENGLISH
You have just found out you have HIV
You have just found out you have HIV
What happens after diagnosis?
01
Will there be any side effects?
06
How will I know if the treatment is working?
07
What should I tell the healthcare team?
02
What is U=U?
08
03
Why and when should I start treatment?
What are my rights as a patient?
09
04
What form does treatment take?
What can I do if I think I am being subject to discrimination in the hospital?
10
How should I take my medication?
05
11
Other tips
01
What happens after diagnosis?
After you are diagnosed with HIV, you should be referred to a hospital. The hospital will run blood tests to determine your viral load and CD4 cell count, which indicate the status of your immune system. You will also be tested for other diseases such as tuberculosis or sexually transmitted infections (STIs) and vaccinations may be recommended.
02
What should I tell the healthcare team?
• Whether I have any other illnesses or barriers to taking medication• Whether I take other drugs, herbs or substances• Whether I drink alcohol • Whether I want to have children• Whether I need psychological or social support
03
04
What form does treatment take?
Why and when should I start treatment?
Antiretroviral treatment will reduce the HIV in your body to a very small amount. This will prevent you from becoming sick from the virus. You should start treatment as soon as possible after diagnosis. There are different treatment options. Talk to your medical team to establish the best option for you.
It is generally a tablet that you take once a day. Although it is just one pill, it contains a combination of several antiretrovirals (anti-HIV drugs). Injectable treatments are also starting to become available. These would be injected once every few months. Talk to your healthcare team to determine the combination that best suits your personal needs.
05
06
How should I take my medication?
Will there be any side effects?
You should take your medication every day, at the prescribed time, and follow any dietary recommendations. This is crucial for the treatment to work. Some treatments are administered by injection. If this is the best option for you, the injection will be given at the hospital, and you will be told when to come in for each dose.
At first you may have a headache or feel dizzy or nauseous. These effects are usually mild and disappear. If they are severe or lasting, inform your healthcare team. There are ways to help you with these effects. Treatment may also be changed to suit you more.
07
How will I know if the treatment is working?
The best way to know whether treatment is working is to watch your viral load. If your viral load drops to undetectable, then the treatment is working. It also probably means that your CD4s (your defences) are stable or increasing. When you have an undetectable viral load, HIV cannot be passed on to your sexual partners (see ‘What is U=U?’).
08
What is U=U?
Treatment not only protects your health but also helps to protect your sexual partners. Treatment will reduce the HIV in your body to an ‘undetectable viral load’, which means the virus cannot be passed on to other people during sex. This is what is known as ‘Undetectable = Untransmittable’ (U=U).
09
What are my rights as a patient?
You have the right to be kept informed about your health, access your medical records, choose or change your doctor and protect the confidentiality of your data.
10
What can I do if I think I am being subject to discrimination in the hospital?
You can file a complaint with the patient care service, or with your local ombudsman, or take legal action. No one may discriminate against you on any personal or social grounds.
09
Other tips
Regular physical exercise will help you to improve your health and quality of life.
Cutting down on smoking or, better still, not smoking at all, will have a very beneficial impact on your overall health.
Getting enough sleep and rest will give you the energy you need to go about your daily life.
Talking to other people with HIV can be helpful when adapting to the infection and accepting it as normal.
A balanced diet with plenty of fruit and vegetables and low in animal fats will help you to stay healthy.
SUBVENCIONA
COLABORA
Descargo de responsabilidad La información contenida en esta ficha no pretende sustituir la recibida por el médico. Las decisiones referentes a la salud siempre deberían tomarse tras consultar con los profesionales sanitarios. La información médica puede quedar desactualizada con rapidez. Si te surge alguna pregunta tras leer esta ficha, te aconsejamos hablar con tu médico o enfermera o llamar a gTt-VIH, al 93 458 26 41, para comprobar si existe alguna novedad relevante al respecto.