Treatment Adherence

Information to help you stay healthy and take control of your HIV health.

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What is Adherence

Being adherent to HIV treatment is about TLC:

  •  Treatment. Take your daily HIV treatment as prescribed.
  •  Labs. Get blood tests to measure your HIV viral load and immune system.
  • Care. Keep all your appointments with your HIV care provider.

Why Adherence is Important

Being adherent keeps you healthy. Forgetting or skipping doses of your HIV medication allows HIV to multiply in body. This increases the risk of HIV treatment failure and drug resistance, which means you can get sick or your medicines might stop working. Being adherent keeps your partners healthy. People living with HIV who maintain an undetectable viral load cannot pass HIV through sex. This is called: Undetectable = Untransmittable, or U=U

Adherence Tips

  • Take your HIV medications at the same time every day.
  • Try taking your medications with a daily routine, like brushing your teeth or bedtime.
  • Set an alarm to help remember to take your medications.
  • Use a pill container and refill it at the same time every week.
  • Purchase timer caps for your pill bottles.
  • Bring extra medications when traveling and keep them in your carry-on when flying.

Understanding Viral Load

When taken as prescribed, HIV treatment suppresses the amount of HIV in your body (viral load) to undetectable levels. Being undetectable helps prevent HIV from damaging your immune system. Undetectable does not mean cured. HIV is still in your body but it is well controlled and not multiplying at levels that will harm your health. To stay undetectable you must continue to take HIV treatment. HIV virus is suppressed to undetectable levels with time plus medication

Help is Available

The Nexus Program is here to help you stay healthy and stay adherent to your treatment plan. We can offer supports based on your unique circumstances and eligibility guidelines. These supports may include:

  • Assistance paying for HIV medications
  • Medical and non-medical case management
  • Medical and laboratory services for people with no insurance
  • Health insurance co-pay and deductible assistance (VA MAP)
  • Health insurance enrollment
  • Food vouchers
  • Medical transportation assistance
  • Mental health services

Talk to your Nexus Program case manager or call 703-639-0558 to find out what supports you qualify for.

For More Information

Talk to your case manager or health care provider if you have questions, or learn more at:

Undetectable = Untransmittable (U=U)

People living with HIV with an undetectable viral load cannot pass HIV to their sex partners.

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How it Works

HIV treatment work to suppress the amount of HIV in a persons’ body (viral load), to undetectable* levels.

Once a person gets and stays undetectable, there is no longer enough HIV for it to be transmitted through sex.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention report that being undetectable is 100% effective at preventing sexual HIV transmission with optimal adherence to HIV treatment.

HIV virus is suppressed to undetectable levels with time plus medication

*An undetectable viral load varies by test. Any viral load under 200 copies/ml is undetectable for preventing sexual HIV transmission.

The Evidence for U=U

Since modern HIV treatments became available, there are no confirmed reports of a person living with HIV with an undetectable viral load transmitting HIV to a sex partner.

Combined, the HPTN 052, PARTNER, PARTNER 2, and Opposites Attract studies followed over 4,000 sero-different couples (where one person has HIV and one doesn’t) who had anal or vaginal sex more than 125,000 times without condoms or pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP).

Among all these studies, there were zero HIV transmissions from a person with an undetectable viral load to their HIV-negative sex partner.

U=U Only Applies to HIV

Being undetectable does not help prevent pregnancy or help prevent sexually transmitted infections (STIs). Condoms can help prevent pregnancy and STIs.

Prevent HIV Transmission

Get undetectable: It can take up to six months to become undetectable after starting HIV treatment. Your health care provider will do blood tests and let you know when you are undetectable.

Stay undetectable: In order to stay undetectable and untransmittable, just remember TLC:

  •  Treatment. Take your daily HIV treatment as prescribed.
  •  Labs. Monitor your viral load through regular blood tests.
  • Care. Keep all your appointments with your HIV care provider.

U=U is Only About Sex

U=U only applies to sex. This includes all types of sex – anal, vaginal, and oral.

U=U is not about injection drug use. There haven’t been enough studies to show whether an undetectable viral load prevents HIV transmission from sharing syringes. If you are injecting drugs or other substances use a sterile syringe and equipment every time.

U=U is not about pregnancy or breastfeeding. Transmission from pregnant person to infant can almost always be prevented with proper medical care. Talk to your health care provider if you are pregnant or planning to become pregnant.

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COVID-19

Information for people living with HIV to stay healthy and prevent COVID-19.

  • Download/view COVID-19 fact sheet formatted for print.
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Staying Healthy with HIV

People living with HIV, especially those with low CD4 counts, may be more likely to experience severe illness or complications from COVID-19. Ask your provider if you do not know your CD4 count.

You have the power to take control of your HIV health and keep your immune system strong.

  • Take you HIV medications daily as prescribed. The Nexus Program can help you stay on track with your treatment and refer you to support services based on your unique circumstances.
  • Keep your HIV medical and lab appointments. If you are undetectable, it’s important to have at least one lab and HIV medical appointment a year. If you aren’t yet undetectable, you may need more frequent appointments.
  • Keep a healthy lifestyle. Eat nutritious foods, get at least 8 hours of rest every night, and exercise for 30 minutes daily and reduce your stress as much as possible.

Prevent COVID-19

wear a mask, keep your distance, wash your hands, avoid crowds, stay home if sick

Do I Have COVID-19?

  • Contact your health care provider and get tested.
  • Continue taking your HIV medications as prescribed.
  • Get emergency medical care immediately if you have severe symptoms.

Vaccine Information

All people living with HIV are recommended to receive a COVID-19 vaccine regardless of CD4 count or viral load. Talk to your health care provider if you have questions or concerns about whether getting a COVID-19 vaccine is right for you.

Vaccine Facts

  • Vaccines for COVID-19 are safe and effective

  • The vaccines were tested with people living with HIV

  • People living with HIV get priority vaccine appointments

Scheduling a Vaccine Appointment

In Virginia, everyone aged 16 and older is eligible to get vaccinated against COVID-19.

Find a vaccine appointment:

If you have a hard time finding an appointment that works for you through the vaccine finder online, you can visit the Virginia Statewide Pre-Registration System to pre-register for a priority appointment. Your local health department will call you within a week to schedule your appointment.

Mental Health

Many people are experiencing sadness, loneliness, anxiety, or stress because of COVID-19. The Nexus Program can help you find a mental health provider.

Or call/ text a confidential and free support line, VA COPES at:

  • 877-349-6428
  • Monday – Friday 9 a.m. to 9 p.m.
  • Saturday & Sunday 5 p.m. to 9 p.m.
  • English or Spanish

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Rapid Start ART

Rapid Start ART (antiretroviral therapy) is a program that connects newly diagnosed people to HIV treatment, HIV medical care, and supportive services within 24 hours.

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What is Rapid Start ART?

Rapid Start ART (antiretroviral therapy) is a program that connects newly diagnosed people to HIV treatment (ART), HIV medical care, and supportive services within 24 hours.

24 hours to care, treatment, and services

What to Expect

  1. Client is referred to Rapid Start ART by NovaSalud testing program for newly diagnosed clients or other provider for clients re-engaging in HIV care.
  2. Client meets with Nexus Program staff to do a program intake. Intake includes consent forms, accelerated medication access approval and insurance enrollment.
  3. Within 24 hours, client has a medical appointment with an HIV care provider. The appointment include HIV status confirmation, medical history, medical evaluation, laboratory tests (blood draw), and medication counseling.
  4. Client receives up to 30 day supply of ART (HIV treatment) during appointment and starts taking HIV treatment right away.
  5. Client meets with Nexus Program staff for education and linkage to care. Client is offered services they are eligible for and discusses where to receive follow up HIV care.
  6. Client has follow up visits and/or phone check-ins at 1, 5, 10, 35-45, 90, and 180 days after starting treatment.

Benefits of Early Treatment

  • Better immune system health. Starting HIV treatment early has been shown to improve the recovery of your CD4 cells (T cells that fight infection), which are the cells that HIV attacks.
  • Quickly get to undetectable. HIV treatment suppresses the amount of HIV in your body (viral load) to undetectable levels. Being undetectable helps prevent HIV from damaging your immune system.
  • Prevent HIV transmission. It can take up to six months to get undetectable. Once you are undetectable, there is no longer enough HIV in your body for it to be transmitted through sex. This is called Undetectable = Untransmittable, or U=U.

HIV Supportive Services

The Nexus Program can offer supports based on your unique circumstances and eligibility guidelines. These supports may include:

  • Assistance paying for HIV medications (VA MAP / Medicaid)
  • Medical and non-medical case management
  • Medical and laboratory services for people with no insurance
  • Health insurance co-pay and deductible assistance
  • Health insurance enrollment
  • Emergency food vouchers
  • Medical transportation assistance
  • Mental health services

For More Information

Talk to your case manager or health care provider if you have questions, or learn more at:

Partnership for Access to Clinical Trials (PACT)

The program to increase access to research for people who are underrepresented in clinical studies. Visit the Partnership for Access to Clinical Trials (PACT) website for more information.

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What is PACT?

The NIAID Partnership for Access to Clinical Trials (PACT) is a collaboration in the Washington, D.C., metropolitan area that connects health care providers and their patients with researchers at NIAID who are conducting clinical trials at the NIH Clinical Center in Bethesda, Maryland. The primary goal of the collaboration is to increase access to research by people who may be underrepresented in clinical trials. All services provided by the PACT program to the patients are free of charge.

 

Major Area of Focus

  • Educate patients, health care providers, and community groups about clinical trials
  • Determine potential eligibility to join the clinical trials
  • Facilitate referral to and participation in the clinical trials
  • Maintain relationships with patients and health care providers

Benefits of PACT

  • Information about treatment options and available clinical research studies
  • Assistance with enrolling in a clinical trial
  • Support for the duration of the study