The U.S. Department
of Health and Human Services (DHHS) issues guidelines to help doctors treat
people with HIV in the United States. Separate guidelines have been developed
for:
treatment of adults and adolescents
treatment of children
treatment of pregnant women and prevention of mother-to-child transmission of
HIV
The guidelines are written in sophisticated medical
language and may be challenging for the general public to read and understand.
"HIV and Its Treatment: What You Should Know" is a series of easy-to-read
fact sheets based on the Federal guidelines. These fact sheets can help you
understand the recommendations found in the guidelines.
Who writes the guidelines?
The guidelines are written, reviewed, and updated by
panels of HIV experts from across the country. Panel members include physicians,
pharmacists, researchers, and HIV treatment advocates.
What information is used in developing the guidelines?
The panels of HIV
experts study drug information submitted to the U.S. Food and Drug
Administration (FDA), as well as research findings presented at conferences and
published in professional journals. Often new information comes from
clinical trials
testing the safety and effectiveness of different treatments. Members of the
guidelines panels also use their own clinical experience to make the
recommendations found in the treatment guidelines.
What information will I find in the guidelines?
Topics covered in the
guidelines include:
the goals of anti-HIV therapy
when to start treatment
monitoring of patient health
medication side effects and their management
anti-HIV medications for use during pregnancy
diagnosis of HIV infection in infants
Much of the information is
presented in tables and charts for quick reference.
Will the guidelines tell me what HIV medications I should take?
The guidelines list
"preferred" and "alternative" HIV treatment regimens. You and your doctor will
decide which medications are right for you; each HIV treatment regimen is
tailored to the individual patient (see
Recommended HIV Regimens Fact Sheet).
When are the guidelines updated and how can I access them?
Updates to the HIV
treatment guidelines can occur at any time. Since the guidelines were first
introduced in 1998, the period between updates has ranged from several weeks to
several months or more. You can join the AIDSinfo E-News listserv to
receive an e-mail notification when updated guidelines are released (http://aidsinfo.nih.gov/other/subscribe.asp).
Clinical trial: A scientifically designed study
testing the safety and effectiveness of a medication or other treatment in
human volunteers.
Opportunistic infections: Infections that
usually don't cause disease in people with normal immune systems, but can
affect people with damaged immune systems, including people with HIV.
For more information:
Contact your
doctor or an AIDSinfo Health Information Specialist at 1-800-448-0440 or
http://aidsinfo.nih.gov.
Also available in PDF
format