NHS Lanarkshire Sexual Health

Living with HIV

The Folder

The Folder is intended as a brief guide to HIV and its treatment. It is for people who have been diagnosed HIV positive and who are attending the Lanarkshire HIV, AIDS and Hepatitis Centre (LHAHC).

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HIV and the Law

If you have HIV it's important to make sure that you have a clear picture of the law as things are changing all the time.
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CD4 Counts

What are CD4 Counts? CD4 cells are white blood cells, which organise your body’s response to invading Micro-organisms. (T-cells is a phrase you might also hear, but this really means the same thing.) They form the basis of the body’s defence mechanism.
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Viral Load

Your Viral load is a measure of the amount of HIV present in your blood. The more HIV in your blood, the higher the viral load and the faster your CD4 cells are likely to disappear; and the greater the risk of disease progression.
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Resistance Testing

Resistance testing is now performed fairly routinely. It may tell you whether you have been infected with a drug-resistant strain of HIV, and also which of any drugs you have already used you may be resistant to and so are unlikely to benefit from continuing to take. Resistance is the ability of HIV to overcome the effects of anti-HIV medication.
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Starting Therapy

One of the most important discussions you will have with your HIV specialist concerns the choice of anti-HIV drugs for a first combination. The choice of anti-HIV drugs should be guided by your wishes as well as those of the doctor.
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Choosing a Combination

Each person’s medical situation, lifestyle and personal preferences will affect their choice of anti-HIV drugs. As with all aspects of your health, it is important to discuss with your HIV doctor which combination would best suit your needs.
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Taking the Drugs

Whether you are taking your first Regimen or have had to change to another, Combination therapy based on three or more drugs will bring many changes to your daily routine.
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When to Change

The goal of Combination therapy, to improve the length and quality of your life, is best achieved by suppressing Viral replication to below detectable levels as measured on an ultrasensitive Viral load Assay, and keeping it there.
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Stopping Therapy

Combination therapy reduces Viral load levels in your body, giving your Immune system some protection from HIV and an opportunity to recover from the damage caused by HIV.
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Support Groups

There are two groups in Lanarkshire for people living with HIV.
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Women's Issues

Gynaecological problems are the most commonly reported conditions for women living with HIV or AIDS. Many of the problems women with HIV experience also affect HIV negative women.
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