Doctors cannot yet cure HIV, but they can control its progression.
Antiretroviral drugs, or ARVs, are medications that doctors prescribe to slow down the effects of human immunodeficiency virus, or HIV, the condition that leads to AIDS, a deadly disease of the immune system. As of 2011, no cure exists. According to TheBody.com, the drugs function to slow down HIV's destruction of the white blood cells, or T-helper cells, that progressively destroy the immune system, and thus the body, causing eventual death. Though such drugs are available, not everyone benefits, for a number of reasons.
HIV Stigma: Fear of Ostracism/Discrimination
People who have encountered possible exposure to HIV do not seek antiviral medication because they fear ostracism. Such people may fear that if someone sees them waiting in line at an HIV antiviral clinic, she will spread that information to others around them. Word, in turn, could get back to their bosses, ending their livelihoods, particularly in countries where such discrimination is still legal as of 2011. Even in nations such as the United States, where this practice is illegal, an HIV patient is likely to still be afraid that he will lose valued friendships and relationships with relatives due to a revelation about this condition.
Lack of Confidentiality
HIV-infected individuals sometimes fear a lack of confidentiality in these matters. Although the United States is an example of a country that has enacted laws to preserve medical privacy, breaches of confidentiality can happen by accident. Medical professionals who have not received proper medical ethics training may snoop into a person's medical files, or accidentally leave the personal information in an unsafe area by mistake.
Drug Costs
Antivirals can be cost-prohibitive. According to the UNAIDS Handbook, many factors go into the decision pharmacies must make in deciding how much to charge for a certain drug, such as the cost of placing it on the market, or how much the drug makers perceive that a patient is willing to pay for a medication. In addition, HIV/AIDS victims in third-world countries find themselves having to choose between buying these drugs and paying the rent, or placing food on the table. For this reason, some communities have set up initiatives to offer these life-saving drugs for free. One such city is Kalamazoo, Michigan, which offers Kalamazoo CARES, which gives out free medication to those who qualify.
Pharmacy Too Far Away
In certain third-world countries, health-care facilities that offer such medication can be too far away. Communities may not be able to afford to provide transportation to these patients. Another problem may be the nature of the terrain. Because of the structure of the land, officials could risk fatalities because the roughness of the roads could lead to an accident. In addition, the UNAIDS website mentions that if a certain part of town is in war, it is too unsafe to transport HIV victims to the faraway facilities necessary to pick up their medication.
Fear of Side Effects
Once an individual receives an HIV diagnosis, his quality of life is likely to change. According to AIDSETC.org, the patient may experience a number of side-effects due to the antivirals he must take for life. These daily treatments can lead to compromised renal, pancreatic and nerve function. The side effects can also cause the patient to experience malaise, headache, fatigue, nausea or vomiting. Indeed, these problems can lead a person to believe that the treatment is worse than the disease itself.
False Hopes of Alternative Cures
To avoid the side effects of traditional antivirals, some people choose alternative treatments. The problem with this approach, however, is that the herbs they use are unproven. The herbs have not received Food and Drug Administration approval. Therefore, no official record exists that any of them have cured HIV.
Tags: have received, immune system, patient experience, side effects, slow down, third-world countries