Living with HIVIf you are living with HIV, your life can seem more complex than before and you may face all kinds of day-to-day problems. We can help you navigate your way through them. |  |
Treatments
The development of various anti-HIV drugs over the past decade has made a marked difference to the life expectancy and quality of life of people who are living with HIV. Many people on anti-HIV treatments now fit their drug regimes into their everyday lives without any problems.
However, not everyone reaches this stage easily. For example, if you have just started treatment for HIV, you might find it scary or confusing.
Or you may have been taking the drugs for a while, but are experiencing difficult side-effects and would like to discuss alternative treatment options or ways of managing these side-effects
Or you may be a concerned partner, relative or friend of someone who is living with HIV and finding treatment tough.
You can read more about treatments, including what to do if you have missed a dose and tips on how to take your drugs correctly, on another page of our website.
How THT can help
THT Direct is our service that offers advice for people living with HIV or affected by it. We can give you information about taking anti-HIV drugs, and we can offer support from an adviser who has knowledge of living with the virus and HIV treatments.
We can give you information and support, and help you to explore your decisions about:
- starting or changing treatments
- managing side-effects
- sticking with treatments
- the relationship with your consultant
- support services at your clinic
- complimentary therapies
- new drugs in the pipeline
- drug interactions.
How our service works
You can talk to our advisers between 10am and 10pm on Monday to Friday and from 12 noon to 6pm on Saturday and Sunday.
If you feel you need more clinical detail about your medication then you might want to make an appointment with your consultant or contact i-base, a charity that specialises in advising about HIV treatments.
As with the rest of the THT, the aim of our treatments advice is to focus on your needs, offering you an opportunity to explore your options and giving you support so that you can reach your own decisions from an informed choice.
i-base
Telephone: 0808 800 6013
Hours: Monday to Wednesday from 12 noon to 4pm.
Calls are free and confidential.
Planning for the future
"The thing I say to patients is ‘You must have the same aspirations as if you didn’t have HIV’.
"I was always so impressed that, even when we didn’t have good treatments, people with HIV would still do fantastic things with their lives. More than ever, I think people living with HIV need to plan for the future like everyone else."
British HIV Association chair Dr Margaret Johnson, Positive Nation Magazine, Issue 111
Information about HIV treatment
THT publications
Other resources
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