#AskTheHIVDoc: How long do I need to be on HIV treatment?

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#AskTheHIVDoc is a series of short explainer videos from Greater Than HIV featuring top HIV doctors covering all aspects of HIV from prevention (including PrEP) to diagnosis, care and treatment, as well as the basics.

In this installment, Dr. David Malebranche, MD, MPH, explains terms like CD4 and T-Cell, viral load and HIV undetectable. He also covers the basics of HIV treatment – why it matters, how it works, when to start – as well as covers getting into care and finding support.

These videos are provided for educational purposes and not a substitute for professional medical advice. Always consult your healthcare provider before making any healthcare decisions or for guidance about a specific medical condition.

TRANSCRIPT:
One of the questions I get asked frequently is once I start these medications do I have to take them for the rest of my life?

The answer to that question is yes. You have to be prepared. This is not a medication that any of us take lightly.

Once you start this medication, knowing that we don't have a cure, you are expected that you're going to have to take this medication for the rest of your life. So you have to be ready for that commitment.

It's not easy to take a pill every day for the rest of your life. Sometimes you're going to feel like doing it, sometimes you're not going to feel like doing it.

But just knowing that it's for your general health, make sure you keep doing it and then when you feel those lows when you feel like you don't want to take the medication anymore, speak to your medical provider, just make sure you talk to somebody.