STOP AIDS Project
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2128 15th Street
San Francisco, CA 94114
415-575-0150
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Being adherent to taking your HIV medications as prescribed is an important part of maintaining your good health and retaining the efficacy of your HIV medications. Staying on a treatment regimen is difficult under the best of conditions. Even doctors and nurses find it difficult to take a simple course of antibiotics as directed. Taking HIV therapy sometimes requires a person to take a dozen or more pills a day, with specific timing and diet restrictions. Then, when a person also takes medication for other conditions, the total daily pill count can soar.
Keeping up with your meds alone can become a major activity. So it’s little wonder that people have trouble keeping up with the program. Therefore, adhering to your HIV therapy means taking an honest and objective view of your life and daily activities.
Adherence is more than just taking pills; properly adhering to your medication involves sticking to an entire regimen:
* taking the full dose as prescribed
* taking your pills at the prescribed times every time
* obeying any food restrictions, and
* being vigilant about interactions with other medicines, herbs and supplements
Talking to other poz guys about how they maintain adherence could be a good way to learn tips and tricks that help you stay adherent.
Challenges to Adherence
Taking your meds regularly can be a challenge, but finding ways to maintain adherence is worth it in the long run.
Keeping Adherence in Mind
One of the things to consider while choosing a therapy is how easy it will be for you to be adherent for an indefinite amount of time.
Lifestyle and Adherence
Taking your lifestyle into consideration when you choose a therapeutic regimen is an important part of the discussion you should have with your doctor.
Keep a Stash of Meds
Do you find yourself missing doses or running out of your meds? Here are some tips for managing your supply and staying on your schedule.
Tips for Adherence
Most people have challenges around staying adherent to their regimen but find ways to incorporate their meds into their schedules. Here are some practical tips that might help you stay adherent.
Understanding Your Regimen
Maintaining a good relationship with your medical provider is key to understanding your regimen, which in turn is key to staying adherent. Understanding why you're taking certain drugs often helps people remember to take them.
Why Adherence Is Important
Adherence is important for short and long-term reasons. In order to get the maximal effect of the therapy, certain levels of the drug must be maintained in the blood. Non-adherence could allow for drug resistance, which could limit your therapeutic options later.
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