Triple therapy
Taking one medicine at a time doesn't work as well or effectively as it should, and a person should take three different types of
medicines. The medicines that act against the HIV virus are called antiretroviral medicines and when someone takes the three together,
we sometimes call it "triple therapy" or HAART (Highly Active Antiretroviral therapy).
The medicines act by killing the virus
We can now measure how much virus there is - we call this test the viral load - and using the medicines causes the viral load to decrease
and sometimes it goes to such a low level that it can no longer be measured and is called "undetectable".
Importance of adherence
Once people start taking a medicine, they have to take it continuously, and they must remember to take it all the time. They shouldn't
even miss one dose. This is because if the medicine is only taken some of the time, then the virus starts becoming resistant (stronger)
and the medicines don't work as well.
EXPLAINING HIV TRANSMISSION TO INFANTS
The chance of a baby getting infected can be reduced
When a woman has HIV infection, it is possible that the virus can pass to her baby, but we can now reduce the chance that this will
happen.
Routes of transmission and prevention
At birth: The most common time for the baby to get infected is at the time of the birth. We can now reduce the chance that this will
happen by you taking medicine when your labour is starting, and also giving one dose of the medicine to the baby during the first
three days after birth.
Earlier in pregnancy: It is less common for a baby to get infected earlier during the pregnancy. The chance of this is greater for those
women who are sick or have low T cells, and these women can now start the triple medicines that reduce the chance of passing the
infection to the baby.
Breast-feeding: The virus can pass to a baby in breast milk. That is why it is often recommended that a woman does not breast-feed
her baby but gives her baby milk formula. If a mother decides to breast-feed, then it is important to discuss this further, because there
are ways that may reduce the risk of passing the virus.
HIV
Intervention Programme for the ENHANCEMENT OF CHILDREN'S RESILIENCE
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