GET INFORMED
NOT KNOWING IS THE RISK!
THINGS TO KNOW ABOUT HIV
GET
TESTED
EARLY DIAGNOSIS AND
TREATMENT WITH REGULAR TESTING
FAQ
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
ABOUT HIV AND ANSWERS!
CONSULT
PEER COUNSELLING
YOU ARE NOT ALONE,
WE STAND BY YOU!
1M1T
ONE MESSAGE, ONE TEST APPLICATION
SEND MESSAGE, RAISE AWARENESS!
SHARE
OUR EXPERIENCES ARE
VALUABLE! POSITIVE STORIES
ABOUT US
Who are we?
Positive Solidarity is an organization that provides peer counseling to people living with HIV and performs awareness studies about HIV test. We aim to convey experience through peer counseling and to make people get into the habit of regular testing through One Message One Test (1M1T) Application.
We stand by you as your peer counsellors for Positive Solidarity!
People recently diagnosed with HIV+ might require an HIV+ peer just like themselves during the process of getting used to living with HIV. By sharing our experiences of living with HIV+ and by acting with solidarity, we promote people to make peace with HIV and continue their lives as usual.
Do not forget, do not ignore! More people can learn about their HIV status by getting into the habit of regular testing, and it can provide an important opportunity to start the treatment early. With regular treatment, HIV will not be transmitted and it can reduce the number of incidences
(Undetectable=Untransmittable)
You can share your HIV stories with us, and write about your opinions and recommendations.
Support and solidarity keeps alive!
Click for Announcements&Explanations!
CONSULT
Peer Counseling
Individuals living with HIV are considered peers due to their common health condition. Peer counseling for those living with HIV is the process of an HIV-positive individual who continues to live as usual in light of the experiences on living with HIV and has accurate and sufficient information on HIV, to support the HIV-positive individuals who were recently diagnosed or have problems regarding HIV despite being previously diagnosed, and demand help and solidarity.
If you are experiencing shock and consequent trauma after being diagnosed with HIV and/or have difficulty in perceiving and accepting this condition, or just want to talk about your experiences of living with HIV with a peer who is undergoing the similar processes with you, you can write to us. For this, you can e-mail us at danisma@pozitifdayanisma.org or reach us through our social media accounts.
We stand by you as your peer counsellors for Positive Solidarity!
SHARE
Positive Stories
All our stories are unique and valuable! Send us your positive stories, and we share them with your nickname. You may hide or change all your personal information such as name and location.
GET TESTED!
HIV Test & Free Anonymous HIV Testing Centers
In order for HIV to become detectable, a certain time must pass after the suspicious contact/unprotected sexual intercourse. This is called window period. Fourth generation antibody and antigen tests are considered to give 95% accurate results on the 28th day after the suspicious contact/unprotected sexual intercourse, but it is recommended to wait until the 90th day for the accurate result. This is because of false positivity, which might be observed in tests performed during the window period before the 90th day.
If the HIV test you will undergo in anonymous HIV testing and counselling centers or the outpatient clinics of state or private hospital is positive, first, stay calm, there is no need to panic. There can be certain conditions in which your immunity can be weak, and this may cause your test result to be positive. This is called false positivity. A second, confirmatory test must be performed in any case after the positive result obtained in the first test. This confirmatory test is not peroormed in anonymous HIV testing and counselling centers but you can get an appointment in the infection clinics of state and university hospitals and undergo the confirmatory test. If the result of your confirmatory test is also positive, that is, if you are diagnosed with HIV, this is not the end of the world or a major loss. If you start to use the medication (ART) prescribed by your physician after an extensive health screening, do not forget that you can continue living your life as usual and as healthy as everyone else.
You must follow the health recommendations of your physician but do not forget that no healthcare professional including your physician has the right to have a negative and worrisome approach to you regarding HIV. None of the healthcare professionals have the right to question your private life and make moral judgements. If you are subjected to discrimination when receiving healthcare service, you can easily make a complaint to Ministry of Health and if required, you can change physicians.
By phoning the Anonymous HIV Testing & Counselling Centers listed below, you can learn the up-to-date work days and hours and undergo free and anonymous (without sharing your personal identifying information) HIV testing with a single drop of blood drawn from your fingertip. It is usually possible to get your test result within 10 minutes.
Ankara Anonymous HIV Testing&Counselling Center
Çankaya Municipality Voluntary Testing&Counselling Center
Tuesday and Thursday 09.00-20.00
Wednesday 09.00-17.00
Address: Çankaya Municipality Additional Service Building. Şehit Gönenç Cad. Maltepe/ANKARA (next to Yılmaz Güney Theatre, single-storey blocks)
For information, call: 0 312 230 51 10
İstanbul Anonymous HIV Testing&Counselling Centers
1- Şişli Municipality Boysan YAKAR Voluntary Testing&Counselling Center
Weekdays 17.00 - 20.00
Address: Cumhuriyet Mah. Abide-i Hürriyet Cad. Mezarlık Çıkmazı Sok. No:2 Feriköy /Şişli İstanbul
For information, call: 0 212 234 48 31 / 0 212 232 18 43
2- Beşiktaş Municipality Center for Healthy Living
Weekdays 09.30 - 17.00
Beşiktaş Municipality Center for Healthy Living
Address: Cihannuma Mah. Bostancı Veli Sok. 5/A Beşiktaş/İstanbul (next to Abbasağa Park)
For information, call: 0 212 258 24 16
İzmir Anonymous HIV Testing&Counselling Center
Konak Municipality Voluntary Testing&Counselling Center
Weekdays 08:30 – 17:00
Address: SSK Blokları, B-3 Blok Kat: 5, Konak / İzmir
For information, call: 0 232 484 22 91
Mersin Anonymous HIV Testing&Counselling Center
Metropolitan Municipality Voluntary Testing&Counselling Center
Monday and Wednesday 08:00 - 17:00
Tuesday and Thursday 08:00 – 20:00
Address: Hamidiye Mahallesi, İsmet İnönü Bulvarı, No:164 (opposite Mersin Officers’ Club) Mersin
For information, call: 0 324 232 00 72
Bursa Anonymous HIV Testing&Counselling Center
Nilüfer Municipality Voluntary Testing&Counselling Center
Weekdays 08:00-18:00
Address: Center for Social Equality, İhsaniye Mah. Cumhuriyet Meydanı, Nilüfer / Bursa
For information, call: 0 224 483 71 15 / 0 505 195 06 13
RAISE AWARENESS – 1M1T
What is One Message One Test (1M1T) Application?
Would you like to raise awareness by sending a message to your friends and loved ones?
According to UNAIDS, 55% of people living with HIV do not know their HIV status, and thus do not receive HIV treatment (ART). Therefore, we believe that it is very important for people who are unaware of their HIV status to undergo testing, because not knowing is a risk and early diagnosis can provide advantage in HIV treatment.
If more people learn about their HIV status by getting into the habit of regular testing, timely initiation of HIV treatment becomes possible, and even if unprotected sexual intercourse is performed with individuals with UNDETECTABLE viral load (number of viruses in blood) due to regular use of medication, HIV is not transmitted to their sexual partner(s). This might decrease HIV incidence.
Regular testing saves lives!
You can select one of the communication channels below for 1M1T Application and raise awareness with a single message!
1M1T APPLICATION – MESSAGE TEXT
Hello,
I am sending you this message to raise awarenss on HIV. If you are not regularly undergoing HIV testing, I invite you to undergo testing and use 1M1T Application. You can find out your result only in 10 minutes at anonymous HIV testing centers. Today, HIV positive individuals live as healthy as everyone else with regular antiretroviral (ART) treatment! Do not forget, early diagnosis can provide advantage in HIV treatment.
Regular testing saves lives! #1M1T #onemessageonetest
For 1M1T Application, more information, anonymous testing and counselling centers, visit:
www.pozitifdayanisma.org
Positive Solidarity publishes One Message One Test (1M1T) Application only to give general information and raise awareness on HIV testing. 1M1T must be regarded as a tool to provide general information to make people get into the habit of regular testing and used with good intentions. The accuracy and addressability of the contact addresses used for 1M1T are the responsibility of the sender. Anyone using 1M1T is considered to accept all these responsibilities. Personal data of individuals sending or receiving message via 1M1T are not shared with 3rd parties but Positive Solidarity does not accept any legal responsibilities about message sending.
GET INFORMED
What is HIV&AIDS?
HIV is the abbreviation of “Human Immunodeficiency Virus”. HIV enters the immune system and into the cells known as CD4 or T cells, which help the immune system to fight against infections, and continuously copies itself to produce new viruses. These new viruses become active to transform the other CD4 cells. If the individual is not under medication (ART), the number of CD4 cells decrease over time and HIV amount in blood increases significantly.
HIV does not directly make people sick, it leaves the body unprotected against other opportunistic infections by weakening the immune system. Today, with the help of treatments developed, if the individuals living with HIV regularly use medication, they do not become sick due to opportunistic infections that occur because of HIV. Thus, living with HIV is not a continuous state of sickness, those living with HIV are not sick!
AIDS is the abbreviation of “Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome”.
If the individual is not under ART, HIV weakens the immune system, HIV amount in blood increases significantly, and thus, the body becomes open to diseases. When the immune system can no longer defend the body, infections, which are very severe and usually lead to individual’s death, and cancers may develop. These diseases are called opportunistic infections as they transform the weakening of the body’s defense force to an advantage for themselves. Another issue which causes misinformation is the expression “to die of AIDS”. This is not an expression that reflects the truth, because what leads to the individual’s death is actually one or more opportunistic infections. AIDS is the name given to the condition under which these opportunistic infections and cancers develop, and it is better described with the expression “syndrome”. Thus, AIDS describes the stage, not the disease. Today, individuals with HIV who regularly take ART medication never get to AIDS stage. Early diagnosis might provide significant advantages in HIV treatment.
HIV can enter into our body via mucosa, open deep wounds or direct injection. In our bodies, mucosa is found in eyes, inside the mouth and vagina, inside the anal canal and the head of the penis. HIV is only found in blood, semen, pre-seminal fluid known as pre-ejaculatory fluid, vaginal fluids which are found ubiquitously at all times and not directly related with ejaculation, rectal fluids and breastmilk. HIV is not found in saliva, urine, sweat or other areas in the body other than the abovementioned areas with mucosa. When HIV is airborne, it is inactive, that is, dead. HIV’s contact with air means its death. Similarly, stomach acid can kill HIV. However, HIV can remain in the blood without dying. It cannot become alive as it is not in the cell, but it will continue to exist.
HIV Transmission Routes
• Unprotected (without condom) anal, vaginal, and/or oral sex/suspicious contact with person or persons who live with HIV but do not take ART medication regularly,
• Shared use of needle, syringe and other injection equipment with a person who lives with HIV but does not take ART medication regularly,
• From the mother who lives with HIV but does not take ART medication regularly to her infant before delivery, during delivery or during breastfeeding,
• Direct injury of healthcare professionals with needles or sharp objects containing blood infected with HIV.
• Blood donation. (This occurs very rarely because all donated blood is screened for HIV antibody and antigen).
“UNDETECTABLE=UNTRANSMITTABLE”
If an individual living with HIV is taking medication regularly and if the viral load in blood has remained undetectable for 6 months, HIV is not transmitted via unprotected sexual intercourse.
However, it must be kept in mind that although HIV transmission does not occur thanks to ART, unprotected sexual intercourse bears the risks of other sexually transmitted infections as well as pregnancy risk. Using condom protects you and your sexual partner(s) from unwanted pregnancy and numerous sexually transmitted infections.
HIV Treatment (ART)
AART is the abbreviation of antiretroviral therapy. It is also called combination therapy or HIV therapy. ART mostly involves the use of at least 3 active drugs. Single-dose pills used today can include multiple drugs and some can include a whole combination (3 or 4 drugs). ART has caused significant decrease in HIV-related diseases and deaths in all countries. Moreover, regular ART use, that is, regular use of medication, abolishes HIV transmission. If your viral load, that is, HIV amount in blood, cannot be detected with ART for at least 6 months, it means that HIV transmission is not a concern any more. Thus, your sexual partner(s) is also safe from HIV.
With ART, the risk of side effects is very low. In the beginning, mild side effects are common. It is usually easy to manage the side effects and they will fade within the first few weeks. Although a low probability, if its side effects are severe or persistent, you can start using another ART with a new prescription from your physician. There is a sufficient selection of ART medication. Your physician will make the most suitable choice of medication for you.
The best protection method against infections is vaccines!
Vaccines are biological products that provide protection against diseases by activating the immune system. With vaccination, the goal is to acquaint the individual with the agent so that the body will develop immunity, while maintaining the individual’s health. The effect of vaccine emerges when the immune system responds to the weakened or killed form of the microorganism or some of its components. Thus, when the individual encounters the disease agent, immune system will remember the agent and rapidly respond, and either the disease will be avoided or will manifest mildly. Vaccinations are usually completed during childhood but if you have missing vaccines, individuals with HIV are recommended to have the following vaccinations: Hepatitis A, Hepatitis B, Tuberculosis (BCG), Polio (poliomyelitis) Conjugated Pneumococcus, Measles-Mumps-Rubella (MMR), Diphtheria, Acellular Pertussis, Tetanus, Inactive Polio and Haemophilus Influenza Type B, Tetanus Toxoid, Chickenpox, HPV, seasonal influenza vaccines.
Please consult your specialist physician for vaccination!
Click for Frequently Asked Questions!
Click for the History of HIV!
HISTORY OF HIV & AIDS
Pre-1980
Unidentifiable
According to scientists, HIV was first observed in chimpanzees in Western Africa in the 1930s. Its transmission to humans is attributed to the injuries that frequently occurred during illegal poaching activities, which were common at the time, but HIV could not be identified in the medical literature until the 1980s.
1981
Discovery
In the United States, unusual and high rates of increase in rare forms of pneumonia and cancers have started to be reported in young gay men. People were soon stigmatized and these unidentifiable complications became known as ‘gay disease’; however, by the end of 1981, similar complications were now being reported in people sharing intravenous needles.
1982
Identification of AIDS
These unidentifiable complications were called Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS) for the first time. In March, the first AIDS case in Canada was recorded. It was discovered that what caused AIDS was sexually transmitted, and that it was the Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV). Cases caused via blood transfusion have also started to be reported.
1983
Women can be infected too
It has also been found that women may be HIV-positive or diagnosed with AIDS through heterosexual sexual intercourse.
1985
The first HIV&AIDS Conference and a first in Turkey!
The first HIV & AIDS Conference in the United States was held with the participation of scientists from different parts of the world. The first AIDS case was reported in Turkey.
1986
Mother to infant
It was found that HIV transmission from mother to infant can occur via breastfeeding.
1987
Uprising against the deaths: ACT UP and the first anti-retroviral medication: AZT
As one of the most expensive treatments in history, AZT had serious side effects, and HIV could easily become resistant if misused. AZT was prescribed with other medication that must be used simultaneously. The political group ACT UP, which called for urgent action for AIDS, was founded in March 1987 at the Lesbian and Gay Community Services Center in New York. In protest against the difficulty in accessing treatment and the treatment cost, ACT UP organized a protest march on Wall Street with broad participation.
1988
World HIV&AIDS Day
In many different countries, December 1 was announced as the World HIV & AIDS awareness day.
1989
Zidovudin
The clinical effects of Zidovudine, which was prescribed for use in HIV treatment regimen, have started to be observed, and the second drug, didanosine, DDI, was found.
1990
People living with HIV
Between 8 and 10 million people worldwide started to live with HIV.
1991
HIV&AIDS Awareness Symbol
Red Ribbon has become the international HIV&AIDS awareness symbol for those living with HIV and AIDS.
1992
Rapid Test and New Discoveries
The FDA (American Food and Drug Administration) licensed the first “rapid test”. A third drug, Zalcitabin, also known as Dideoxycytidine, was found.
1994
The Fight Against Stigmatization
Starting from this year, Turkey started to use the diagnosis-specific tracking system. In order to prevent discrimination and stigmatization, system notifications of the diagnosed persons were started to be made using codes, without specifying names.
1996
Development of 3TC
With the development of 3TC, a drug used in the treatment of HIV, combination drug therapy involving multiple drugs led to a sudden decrease in AIDS-related mortality rates by 60-80%. The number of people living with HIV and AIDS globally has reached 23 million.
1999
Worrisome statistics and new hopes
The World Health Organization has announced that AIDS is the fourth major cause of death in the world and the leading cause of death in Africa. An estimated 33 million people were living with HIV, and 14 million people have died from AIDS-related illnesses since HIV first appeared. The most promising development was the introduction of Highly Active Anti-Retroviral Therapy (HAART) involving the simultaneous use of at least 3 drugs with different mechanisms affecting multiple cellular targets.
2000
Millennium Development Goals
The United Nations (UN) has adopted the Millennium Development Goals, which included a special objective to reverse the spread of HIV, malaria and tuberculosis. UNAIDS has begun negotiations with five pharmaceutical companies to reduce the cost of HIV medicine for developing countries.
2003
Support for Countries with High Diagnostic Rates
The United States has created “The U.S. President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief” (PEPFAR), and in five years, has provided $ 15 billion in support to countries with high diagnostic rates. The World Health Organization announced the “3 by 5 initiative” to treat 3 million people with HIV by 2005.
2005
A New Association
Positive Living Association, which also included HIV+ individuals, to work on HIV&AIDS was established in Turkey.
2006
One tablet a day!
With the new medication developed, a single tablet regimen containing different combinations of medications started to be applied.
2010
HIV Vaccine Research
A new HIV vaccine candidate that can reduce, and in some cases, prevent HIV progression, was announced.
2011
Berlin Patient
Four years after completing cancer treatment with marrow transplants, Timothy Ray Brown became the first HIV-negative person in history, and research has gained momentum, but overall it has not provided a common outcome of treatment.
2012
PrEP
FDA (American Food and Drug Administration) approved Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis (PrEP) * for individuals at high risk of becoming HIV-infected. * Drugs designed to reduce the likelihood of HIV-negative individuals becoming infected.
2014
90-90-90 Target
UNAIDS has announced its 90-90-90 target. In line with this goal, by 2020, 90% of people diagnosed with HIV will be reached, 90% will be provided access to medical treatment and viral suppression will be achieved in 90%. UNAIDS has announced that, with “Rapid Follow Up” to prevent 28 million new incidences, it aims to dramatically expand HIV prevention and treatment programs in order to prevent HIV from becoming a public health problem by 2030.
2016
“Know, Care, and Be Protected”
Red Ribbon Istanbul Association was established to work on HIV&AIDS.
2018
Pozitif-iz
Pozitif-iz Association was established to work on HIV&AIDS.
2019
London Patient
A person living with HIV was reported to have been completely HIV-negative for the second time in history, and have the same common characteristics as the “Berlin case”. The first characteristic was that both people had cancer, and the second was that the people who donated marrow to both patients had mutated CCR5. Therefore, it has been announced that marrow transplantation will not be a direct hope in the definitive treatment of HIV for everyone, but that it is certainly a promising situation for the new studies.
2019
A first in Ankara
Positive Solidarity was established in Ankara, providing peer counseling to people living with HIV and conducting awareness studies with the 1M1T Application for the first time.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS 
• Can HIV be transmitted through public toilet?
No. Because HIV is only found in blood, semen, pre-seminal fluid known as pre-ejaculatory fluid, vaginal fluids which are found ubiquitously at all times and not directly related with ejaculation, rectal fluids and breastmilk. HIV is not found in saliva, urine, sweat or other areas in the body other than the abovementioned areas with mucosa. When HIV is airborne, it is inactive, that is, dead. HIV’s contact with air means its death.
• Can HIV be transmitted through social settings such as kissing, hugging, sleeping together, using the same cup or cutlery?
No. Because transmission does not occur through these routes.
• Can HIV be transmitted through HIV testing?
No. HIV test is performed by drawing a certain amount of blood in a sterile environment using a kit or injection specifically designated for you. Tests performed in anonymous testing centers, state hospitals and private hospitals are safe.
• If I get tested for HIV, can my family, friends, workplace find out about the result?
No. Tests performed at anonymous and free HIV testing centers, state hospitals, private hospitals and clinics are kept confidential. Still, if a breach of confidentiality occurs, it is a crime by law. Thus, unless you want to, no one can share your HIV status with someone else. Again, by law, if your HIV test is positive, Ministry of Health is notified using a secret code specifically designated for you instead of your name.
• Is HIV a completely curable virus?
At least for today, the answer is no. But with regular HIV treatment (ART) that lasts for 6 months, scientific studies proved that HIV transmission is not possible even through unprotected sexual intercourse. The reason why HIV cannot be completely removed from the body is that, with the use of ART today, HIV amount in blood can be reduced to almost none but cannot be fully eliminated. If ART is stopped or paused, minute amount of dormant HIV in blood will gain strength and start increasing. This both increases the risk of transmission and causes your immunity level to decrease. Thus, after you start using ART, you must use the medication prescribed by your physician every day without taking a break.
• Is HIV transmitted through mosquito bite or insect sting?
No. It is almost impossible for HIV to survive in the blood sucked by a fly or to be carried by insect bites, and it should not be forgotten that HIV is a virus that can only be transmitted from person to person.
• Is lavage or enema a problem for HIV transmission?
Anal cleansing before sexual intercourse by lavage or enema may damage the intestinal flora. This may make you more vulnerable to other sexually transmitted infections, including HIV. In addition, the shared use of lavage / enema equipment creates a great risk.
• If we get infected with HIV, will we know? / Can people living with HIV be distinguished by their physical appearance?
If you do not have an opportunistic infection and do not get tested regularly before you are diagnosed with HIV, you can continue to live with HIV for many years without realizing or showing a significant difference in appearance. However, this may deprive you of the advantages of early diagnosis and lead to more opportunistic infections. Therefore, regular testing saves lives!
• What is regular testing, and why is it required anyway?
If you are experiencing suspicious contact/unprotected sexual intercourse, or just for routine checkup purposes, regular testing every 6 months can make a big difference to your health because HIV does not have to have visible symptoms.
• What are PrEP and Pep?
Pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP), is a prevention treatment prior to exposure. Several clinical studies to date have demonstrated important evidence that PrEP significantly reduces the risk of HIV infection without serious side effects. For PrEP, Truvada tablets which contain Tenofovir and Emtricitabine, which are commonly used in the treatment of HIV, or its all generic versions, are used. PrEP cannot be provided free of charge or at reduced price to people with social security in our country. In addition, PrEP provides protection only from HIV, but not from other sexually transmitted infections. Therefore, PrEP is not an alternative to prevention methods such as condom.
Post Exposure Prophylaxis (PeP), is a prevention treatment after the exposure. It involves the use of some of the current HIV treatment medication (ART) for people who are thought to be HIV-infected in order to prevent the spread of HIV in the body. PeP is not suitable for everyone in all circumstances. In some cases, in addition to preventing HIV, it can also cause harm. For this reason, PeP must be used in accordance with the decision of a specialist physician and the usage period should be monitored. If more than 72 hours have passed since a suspicious activity/unprotected sexual intercourse that caused you to think you were exposed to HIV, PeP will no longer be the solution for you. HIV transmission does not happen through every suspicious activity/unprotected sexual intercourse. For this reason, it is the right option to avoid new suspicious activities / unprotected sexual intercourse, to remain calm, and to continue to be tested regularly.
• What does Undetectable=Untransmittable (U=U) mean?
Undetectable=Untransmittable, in short, U=U, means that it has been scientifically proven that individuals living with HIV whose virus load in blood decreased below 50 copies/ml after 6 months of regular ART use cannot transmit HIV to their HIV-negative partners through sexual intercourse even if they do not use a condom. In four detailed studies involving couples with different HIV status, there was no single proven HIV transmission when HIV-positive partner was receiving ART and had undetectable viral load. The evidence supporting U = U was very strong in each couple. The World Health Organization (WHO) and more than 750 organizations worldwide agree that HIV transmission cannot occur even through unprotected sexual intercourse with individuals living with HIV whose viral loads were consistently suppressed for 6 months.
• If virus amount/viral load in my blood is undetectable, can I have sexual intercourse without using condom?
HIV transmission will not occur but it must be kept in mind that condom is still the best method of protection against many sexually transmitted infections. We recommend you use condom every time for both your and your partner(s)’ protection.
• I had a friend who told me he/she was living with HIV. What's wrong with me telling this to other people?
Living with HIV is a personal health information and people can only share their HIV status with the individuals they wish to share this information with. Sharing the HIV status of individuals with other people through gossiping is considered as crime and is punishable by law. Therefore, do not share the HIV status of individuals who trust you with the fact that they are living with HIV, and never make it a conversation topic in any environment.
• Can people living with HIV get married?
Yes. Living with HIV is certainly not a legal obstacle to marriage. Individuals living with HIV can marry both HIV-positive and HIV-negative individuals.
• Can people living with HIV have children?
Yes. People living with HIV can have HIV-negative children when the necessary precautions are taken and when their viral load becomes undetectable through regular ART use. It is best to consult your specialist.
• I'm afraid to use HIV medication because it can have side effects. Also, would I gain a lot of weight because of the medication?
There is almost no apparent side effect of using ART, and you don't have to be afraid or worried. Medication prescribed today are highly developed and will make a big difference in your health with their properties that include very effective treatment mechanisms. You don't need to worry about your weight etc. Maintaining good nutrition and health, and doing sports, are very useful for everyone.
• How soon after starting to use HIV medications does the symptoms of HIV go away?
There is no direct symptom of HIV. With the proportional increase of HIV amount in blood, your immune system may weaken and opportunistic infections may occur. It is possible that there are some symptoms in the body due to opportunistic infections. The use of ART will relieve simple symptoms in a short period of time, but more serious symptoms may occur due to opportunistic infections and other sexually transmitted infections. In this case, treatment of such infections is usually initiated prior to ART. What is important here is to ensure your body integrity. Your specialist will decide which treatment options are right for you.
• What happens if I forget to take HIV medication one day or take an extra dose?
It is very important for your health to use your ART medications every day and at the prescribed dose, but not taking a daily dose or taking an extra dose is usually not a problem. You should continue to use your daily dose when you remember you forgot to take it. When you remember that you forgot to take your medication, the prescribing information will tell you in which hours you can take the medication again if you miss the dose. If you take an extra dose, you should continue to use your dose at the same time the next day without disrupting the daily dose, but if you experience such a condition, you must share it with your specialist. In order not to forget your medication, we recommend setting alarms and using weekly medication monitoring boxes. Such medicine boxes are found in almost every pharmacy.
• Would my HIV level be the same as HIV-negative individuals with HIV treatment?
Not everyone has the same level of immunity. For example, although the physiological count of CD4 cells varies from person to person, it is generally between 800 and 1500 cells / mm 3. In particular, the number of CD4 cells in most HIV-positive individuals diagnosed early reaches the level before their diagnosis.
• Should alcohol not be used during HIV treatment (ART)?
Most ART medication do not directly interact with alcohol, so there is no such thing as alcohol must strictly not be used, but excessive alcohol use is harmful for everyone's health. If you have a problem with this, we strongly recommend that you consult your specialist.
• I am in the process of HIV treatment (ART), but I am taking different drugs. Would I have a problem?
The interaction of ART medication with drugs can be quite complicated. In addition, the use of chemical drugs in general weakens your immune system and makes you more susceptible to infections. For this reason, it would be the best option for your health to quit taking drugs when you start ART medication. If you find it difficult to quit, we recommend that you consult your specialist.
