With Antiretroviral Drugs (ARVs), Does HIV Still Matter?

From his HIV diagnosis in 1985 until his death in April of 2009, Cass Mann was one of the world's longest-term HIV-positive survivors. He founded Positively Healthy, the UK's only HIV/AIDS charity staffed exclusively by openly gay men, which provided HIV services including education, support, and peer counselling. These videos now archive his wisdom and insight for future generations. Here he talks about why HIV is still dangerous, and safer sex is still vital, even in the age of antiretroviral medications (ARV) and highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART). Today, HIV positive people are treated with a combination of multiple ARVs/HAARTs. Selecting a combination of ARVs/HAARTs for a particular patient is a process of identifying a combination of ARVs/HAARTs that will effectively treat that patient's strain(s) of HIV and that they can also tolerate. ARVs/HAARTs can have serious side effects. In many cases, people can't tolerate the side effects of an ARV/HAART, so they're unable to take that ARV/HAART. Sometimes, people experience side effects with every combination of ARVs/HAARTs they try, are unable to take any ARVs/HAARTs, and die as a result. Many strains of HIV are resistant to one or more ARVs/HAARTs, so those ARVs/HAARTs won't help you against that strain. It's important to realize that taking ARVs/HAARTs is actually taking chemotherapy for life, and we don't know what the long-term effects of ARVs/HAARTs will be. For more information, visit http://www.AIDSvideos.org/. This video is freely downloadable from http://www.archive.org/details/NowThatWeHaveAntiretroviralDrugsarvOrHaartDoes... . [Do you want to help prevent the spread of HIV/AIDS? Are you fluent in a language other than English? Then volunteer to translate our videos into other languages! Click http://AIDSvideos.org/translate.shtml to to learn how you can help!!! © Copyright 2008-2011 Global Lifeworks. All rights reserved. This work is licensed to be used for non-commercial purposes under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 Unported License. To view a copy of this license, visit http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/3.0/.]

Category:

Education

Tags:

• HIV
• AIDS
• ARV
• HAART
• antiretroviral
• drug
• medication
• barebacking
• unprotected
• sex
• risk
• side
• effect
• combination
• condom
• safer

[jujubbe08]

You should do more and videos,with more realistc words.Verry well.

[theekaypea]

Thank you for this video. I learned a lot. As someone who might have HIV this brings me some sort of comfort knowing that there are options out there.

[ANOTHERHOLEINYOHEAD]

@AIDSvideos Dont worry I will. Thanks for wishing me well.

[AIDSvideos]

@ANOTHERHOLEINYOHEAD: That's great news! Great news on getting tested, and great that you came out HIV-! Now you have the opportunity to make choices that will keep you that way for life. Good luck and be safe!

[ANOTHERHOLEINYOHEAD]

@AIDSvideos I got tested last week and the results came back Negative. I feel like I have had a second chance at life.

[AIDSvideos]

@ANOTHERHOLEINYOHEAD: ARVs have side effects, it's true. However, *not* taking ARVs has side effects, too: more rapid progression to clinical AIDS and death than if you were taking ARVs. Once you're HIV+, those are unfortunately your options. So be realistic that there are side effects to ARVs, but don't let that dissuade you from taking them if your doctor prescribes them.

[ANOTHERHOLEINYOHEAD]

@theekaypea what are you talking about? did you listen to a word he has just said? The drugs are problematic. Its like chemotherapy. If you think those are options you need your head read. As someone who might have hiv this brings me no comfort whatsoever.

[tealmarlin]

@haz0rTV I know how you feel....same here, ill NEVER take a chance ever again...When I found out I was Negative its like I was re-born..

[eizzalflyboy]

@haz0rTV what kind of symptom??

[haz0rTV]

I just found out I was HIV negative after a series of symptoms...man what a fucking relief :P

[kse6063]

what an extremely informative interesting video need to see more5 stars

[Kengikat]

I get what you are saying, but I think....I know we need to stop making this about "gay men" or the "gay community" HIV & AIDS affects all of us. Furthermore as a five time cancer survivor I also dont think calling HIV & AIDS drugs "CHEMO" is the answer either. Doing so would create more "stigma" "ignorance" and "shame" toward HIV & AIDS as well as cancer. I agree we need to come up with a clear way of getting people to be smart about HIV....but CHEMO....please