training, advice & guidance
q&a: you asked us
Question: I want to know more about the drugs I’m taking for HIV. Who can I talk to about them?
Answer: There are quite a few places to turn. Obviously, if you want information specific to your situation, start by talking to your consultant or whichever doctor put you on your current medications. Speaking to a nurse in the same clinic or surgery, or the pharmacist dispensing the drugs, may also useful.
Here at Shield, Barry in particular knows a lot about HIV medications. Karl is another good resource. Make an appointment to speak with either in person or by phone. I-Base in London provides HIV treatment information by phone at 0808 800 6013 on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday afternoons between 12:00 and 4:00 p.m.
If you want to know more right now, look through the Web sites listed in the Links section of Shield’s Web site. The Body is a great place to start as it has an extensive Question and Answer section covering medications, resistance, understanding lab results and more (http://www.thebody.com/experts.html). Just remember that because the Web site is American, some of the information is US specific and not all of the medications discussed are available in the UK.
Question: I’ve been HIV positive since 1997 and single most of that time. But now I’m in a relationship with someone who is negative. How do we make sure she stays that way? Can we ever had children?
Answer: Being part of a mixed status couple definitely presents its own set of challenges but it can be done! One way to learn more about the challenges and how best to face them. Safer sex practices are a must, of course, so check out some of the Web sites in our Links section or browse through the literature in the Sheffield and Rotherham Shield offices. You may also want to speak to others at Shield to learn about their experiences to see what works for them.
You’ll find lots of many questions answered at The Body, including a number involving pregnancy (http://www.thebody.com/Forums/AIDS/Couples/). The Terrence Higgins Trust Web site also has a section specific to the basics of this topic at http://together.chapsonline.org.uk.
And remember to inform yourselves about post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP), which involves the negative partner taking antiretroviral medication in case of accidental exposure. The drugs must be started no more than 72 hours after exposure to have a chance of being effective, the earlier the better. There’s a good explanation of the treatment at Chaps Online (http://www.pep.chapsonline.org.uk/pep_basics.htm).
Good luck!
