Content Overview 
- Summary
- Be a person living with HIV - not one dying of it.
- Commit yourself to doing everything you can to keep the virus in check.
- Look for a doctor who is a specialist with a large HIV practice who is connected with a quality hospital. Learn how to maximize your time with doctors.
- HIV. Basics
- If lab or other tests are unexpectedly bad or good, ask for them to be done again - preferably by a different lab.
- Decide whether to start treatment. If so, choose a treatment that fits your life.
- Once you choose a treatment, follow the prescribed regimen. Learn to be wise about purchasing, living with, storing and disposing of drugs. Free drugs may be available.
- Non-Western treatments should be complementary, not instead of Western treatments. If needed, cutting edge treatments are available through clinical trials.
- Decide who to tell about your HIV status, and when.
- Tell every doctor and other medical professional about your HIV status and drugs.
- Think of family and friends as part of your health care team. Ask for help when you need it. Family roles may change as your needs change.
- Share your emotions. Seek someone who is going through the same thing you are. Consider joining a support group.
- Examine your insurance and financial situation to determine how to pay for medical care and drugs or access them for free if you don't have the resources. If you don't have health insurance, do what you can to get it. You still can.
- Pay attention to your financial basics. Start improving your financial resources. Do what you can to get rid of or minimize existing debt. Refine your investment strategy. Keep track of medical expenses.
- When debt is under control, start working on your goals.
- If you work: Learn how to navigate the potential mine field.
- If you are not able to work, learn the best way to apply for disability income benefits. If you receive a disability benefit, learn how to keep it.
- If you are returning to work or changing jobs, a new employer cannot ask about your health condition.
- Self employed and business owners
- Be sure your legal affairs are in order, including Advance Care Directives. HIV only makes this need more urgent. It will help you feel in control.
- Learn about the HIV resources in your community.
- Drugs do not work in a vacuum. Live a healthy lifestyle. It helps make drugs and other treatments most effective.
- If you have a pet, learn how to live with it safely. If you don't have a pet, consider getting one. A pet is good for your health.
- Although a major source of transmission of HIV is through bodily contact, you can still be physically intimate with people. Learn how to avoid transmitting HIV to other people.
- Watch for depression. Depression, and all other side effects, can be treated.
- Learn About Other Diseases That Can Show Up When Living With HIV, How To Help Prevent Them And Symptoms To Watch For.
Living With HIV
Decide whether to start treatment. If so, choose a treatment that fits your life.
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The decision whether to start treatment
Just because you are HIV positive, does not automatically mean you should start treatment. Discuss whether to start treatment with your HIV specialist.
If you don't start treatment now, follow the suggestions of your HIV specialist about how often to get tests to determine if it is time to start treatment.
The Department of Health and Human Services recommends treatment (antiretroviral therapy) should be started for the following patients:
- Treatment (antiretroviral therapy) should be started for patients with a history of an AIDS-defining illness or who have a count of less than 350 CD4 T cells. (There are circumstances where it recommends treatment for people with more than 350 CD4 T cells).
- Pregnant women.
- People with HIV-associated nephropathy.
- Patients co-infected with HBV when treatment is indicated.
To learn more about the DHHS recommendations, see: http://aidsinfo.nih.gov/contentfiles/AdultandAdolescentGL.pdf 
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What treatment to take
A variety of drugs are used to treat HIV disease.
These days, there is generally more than one drug that can fit a particular situation. Look for a drug that not only works to contain or kill HIV, but also fits your lifestyle. For instance, consider the number of times the drug has to be taken a day and in what circumstances.
If you have a question about which drug(s) to take after consulting with your HIV specialist, get a second opinion from another HIV specialist who is not related to the first doctor.
Keep in mind that decisions about what drugs to use vary from time to time based on your reaction to current treatment and medical advances.
To help decide which is the best drug for you and your lifestyle, we have a tool: Choosing A Treatment
Think about so called "alternative" therapies such as massage and aromatherapy as complementary to Western style medicine instead of "either/or."
NOTE: Be sure to tell your doctor about every other prescription and over-the-counter drugs you take. Some may have a negative interaction with certain HIV drugs. To help keep track of your drugs, we provide a List Of Medications you can complete, print and carry with you.
To learn more, see:
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