What is the treatment?
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breathe & act what are ARVs? antiretroviral drugs ARVs are drugs in the form of daily pills that protect the body from HIV. They help your body fight off both HIV and illness.
This book will teach you how to act out against HIV. It contains all of the answers for where and how to acquire them and why they are so important.
breat he Testing HIV positive means that at one point in your life, you were exposed to the virus. Unfortunately, once is all it takes to be infected for the rest of your life. Now is it’s your job to make the rest of your life as long as possible.
Deciding to take action against HIV is the most important choice you could ever make.
CD4 Cell
HIV Organism
Infected CD4
HIV spreads in your body by infecting CD4 cells. The infected cells multiply and then outnumber the healthy CD4 cells.
ARV pill
ARVs prevent infected cells from multiplying and taking over. Without the HIV or infected cells, healthy CD4 cells are free to grow strong and protect the body from illness. Thus with ARVs, there is a much lower chance you will get sick.
breat he ARVs must be taken every single day in order for your body to have CD4 cells that will keep you healthy. Skipping doses leaves CD4 cells unprotected. HIV is then able to multiply once more, and prevent your body from fighting off disease.
side effects ARVs are known to have a wide variety of side effects.
CLINIC
Side effects vary from person to person. Keep a journal about how you feel on the medication so that you can tell your doctor. Nausea, diarrhea, and headaches are normal symptoms for the first couple weeks , but if conditions worsen, see your doctor.
Always talk to your doctor about how pills make you feel. They can change the medication to reduce the side effects.
acquiring ARV medication
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how? All South African citizens have the right to receive free ARVs for life. There is not cost barrier to staying healthy and active.
where? CLINIC
ARVs are available to you at local hospitals and clinics. If there is not one near you, ask your doctor about how to get ARVs more easily.
breat he why? Remember that ARVs need to be taken at the same time of day, each day of the week to allow your body to fight the HIV. Make ARVs a priority in daily life.
when? ARVs come in month supplies, so be sure you take the proper pills each day. At the end of the month, you must see the chemist to refill your ARV prescription.
ARV facts
ARVs lower the transmission rate of HIV to sexual partners. ARVs will work to protect those you love from infection, but it is still important to be smart and use precaution when engaging in sexual activity.
HIV positive pregnant women should take ARVs before, during, and after pregnancy to avoid infecting of the child. It does not guarentee protection for the child but will reduce the risk.
facts to remember: ARVs prevent the virus from hurting you ARVs must be taken daily for the rest of your life ARVs are free Refill and retrieve your ARV prescription each month. ARVs allow you to live a long and healthy life.
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