Antiretrovirals– the gold standard in HIV treatment
“If you engage in care and treatment, HIV is extremely manageable.”
That’s the message from Dr. Johnmark Opondo, Medical Health Officer (MHO) for the Saskatchewan Health Authority. “HIV can be nearly undetectable and untransmissible with proper treatment. You can live a full life.”
Patients diagnosed with the Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) were once required to take handfuls of medication to boost their immune systems. Now, they are managing their health with one pill a day or, in some cases, just one injection every four weeks.
Through targeted initiatives Saskatchewan has increased access to testing and improved primary care capacity to treat HIV/AIDS. Antiretroviral (ARV) medications can curb transmission and work to reduce the viral load in the blood until HIV is almost undetectable, protecting the body and organs from the deadly impacts of long-term inflammation that can result from HIV. HIV-specific health-care provider resources are available at www.skhiv.ca.
“Antiretrovirals are the gold standard in HIV treatment and can be accessed for free in Saskatchewan,” said Dr. Opondo.
Better outcomes are achieved with early detection and early treatment intervention. Get tested.
For more information on HIV/AIDS testing and treatment, please visit https://skhiv.ca/
