Having HIV doesn’t have to stop anyone from living a full and healthy life. With the right treatment and care, one can expect to live just as long as someone who doesn’t have HIV.

Finding out you have HIV can indeed be a shock. It is likely that you will have many questions and you may be dealing with difficult feelings.

You need to take time to learn about it and how to manage it in the best way. However, having HIV is just one part of a bigger picture and therefore, thinking about other aspects of your health is just as important.

Staying healthy by eating well, exercising and getting enough rest are just a few of the recommended things. You will need to manage any other health conditions you have with help from your healthcare professional.

It is possible that you may have heard about HIV treatment – also called antiretroviral treatment (ART) – or know someone else who is taking it.

Can HIV be treated?

Yes, HIV can be treated. There is a common misconception that it cannot be treated.

Many people living with HIV begin taking treatment and they stay healthy as a result.

Current treatment for HIV is not a cure for HIV, but it can keep HIV under control.

Antiretroviral treatment does its work by keeping the level of HIV in your body low (your viral load). This will allow your immune system to recover and stay strong.

Maintaining a low viral load also helps to prevent HIV from being passed on.

Having good healthcare and treatment enables many people with HIV to live just as long as people who don’t have HIV.

One can continue to have relationships, to work or study, to make plans, to have a family – whatever may have been done before HIV diagnosis.

How and when to start treatment?

The only way to know whether you have HIV is to get tested so that you can start treatment. There are a lot of healthcare centers which can provide assistance with this. There is also the self-testing kit recently lauched by government.

Without treatment, those living with HIV can become ill simply because of the damage that HIV does to the immune system.

Your immune system is your body’s way of protecting itself from illnesses that are caused by germs, bacteria or infections.

It is highly recommended that people living with HIV immediately start antiretroviral treatment. Without treatment, HIV slowly weakens the immune system, making it harder for your body to fight off illness or infection.

Feel free to visit a healthcare professional and discuss the best time to start treatment.

Bottom line, get tested, start treatment and live well. #AnzaSasa