Introduction What is the difference between HIV infection and AIDS? Evaluating your health status Phase 1 - Primo-infection Phase 2 – Seropositive without symptoms Phase 3 – Seropositive with symptoms Phase 4 – AIDS Will I necessarily progress through all phases? What are CD4 cells? What is the viral load? When should I start medications to treat HIV (antiretrovirals)? How does anti-HIV treatment work? Why is it necessary to take several medications at the same time? What are the different types of antiretrovirals? How to choose the best combination of medications? How do I know if my treatment is working? Why are treatments unable to completely erradicate HIV from the body? What are the potential side-effects of antiretrovirals? Why is it sometimes necessary to change the medications in my triple therapy? What is medication resistance? What can I do to avoid resistance? Treatment adherence means: Can alternative or naturopathic/homeopathic therapies assist me in managing my HIV infection? Will I need to take medications for the rest of my life? What can I do to stay in good health? Condom breaks or tears? —Post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP) HIV and Depression HIV and Aging HIV and Neurocognitive Disorders KASA (Kaletra Adherance and Support Assistance)Program Links and References

A significant number of people receiving treatment for HIV will, at some point, during the course of their infection modify or change one or more of the antiretrovirals in their regimen. There are several reasons why medications may be replaced/switched:

• Side effects are a common reason to replace one or more medications in a treatment regimen;
• Virological or immunological failure (the treatment regimen is not successful at suppressing HIV and/or reconstituting the immune system);
• Your viral load becomes detectable after a period when it was undetectable (sometimes referred to as treatment failure) This is confirmed with at least two subsequent viral load tests above the level of detection;
• Your CD4 cells are on a declining trend (confirmed with at least two subsequent lab tests);
• You have symptoms that are not resolving with your current treatment combination.

One or more side-effects

As described in the section What are the potential side-effects of antiretrovirals? it is possible that one or more of the medications in your therapeutic regimen are causing you intolerable side effects, and that despite attempts at managing these side effects - you may need to try something new.

Your treatment is no longer effective

Once your viral load has become detectable on at least two different visits, and this despite ideal medication taking (no doses missed or forgotten), it is quite likely that your virus has become resistant to your current combination of medications (please refer to the section What is medication resisitance?).

In addition, when your CD4 cell counts fall, or you present with symptoms that indicate a progression of your HIV infection - it may be secondary to the development of viral resistance to your medications. (please refer to the section What is medication resisitance?).

Research on HIV and aging in QC — 2013

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Aids/HIV & Work .pdf (french)

Your Health & You .pdf (french)

Live Better With HIV .pdf (french)

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