According to WHO data, there are 37.7 million people living with HIV worldwide. Those receiving early and appropriate treatment can live as long as the rest of the population. However, HIV is still a taboo subject and patients constantly face prejudice and social exclusion, say experts on World AIDS Day, citing data from the Positive Perspectives 2 study.
Effective therapies
The early days of antiretroviral treatment worldwide were associated with the risk of severe side effects and serious damage to health. Over the years, medical efforts have focused on making sure that the drugs, while retaining their efficacy, are also the least burdensome. For a long time, the standard treatment was a four- or three-drug regimen, thanks to innovations then reduced to a two-drug regimen.
Currently, antiretroviral therapy is effective and safe, but quality of life for patients is also a target for innovation. We have already reached the 90% level of treatment efficacy 3-4 years ago. The minimal side effects of the drugs taken keep the patient on therapy, and the ability to take just one tablet, with no dietary restrictions and no need for special storage of medication, provides greater comfort for those being treated. Most importantly, a patient who has been properly and systematically treated for at least six months does not infect others," says Professor Alicja Wiercińska-Drapało, head of the Department of Infectious, Tropical and Hepatological Diseases at WUM.
According to experts, we can now say that HIV infection is no longer a fatal disease, but a chronic condition, with which it is possible to live for many years, provided that it is detected early and effective therapy is continued. In Poland, according to data of the National AIDS Centre, there are currently 13 605 people on treatment.
Daily life with fear of stigmatisation
Despite significant advances in medicine and secured healthcare, HIV-infected people face many difficulties on a daily basis. - Unfortunately, due to the still strong social stigma and the deepening lack of knowledge about HIV in society, many infected people remain alone with the diagnosis. They are afraid to tell even those closest to them about their infection for fear of rejection and stigmatisation. They also do not want to disclose information about their infection anywhere else but at the HIV counselling centre - comments dr n. social. Magdalena Ankiersztejn-Bartczak, President of the Board of the Social Education Foundation.
This is borne out by data from Positive Perspectives 2, a global survey of the HIV community that aims to show how patients evaluate their own health and how the infection affects their daily lives. The results leave no illusions. As many as 46% patients fear that someone will find out about their disease. Social stigmatisation makes their sense of life satisfaction decrease. They put themselves in the position of an inferior person, undeserving of acceptance from those around them. Many exclude themselves from family relationships or social gatherings. The problem of stigmatisation of people with HIV also appears in the health care system. The solution is, on the one hand, proper education of the society and fighting prejudices and stereotypes about HIV. On the other hand, providing adequate support at each stage of treatment.
In HIV care, it is no longer just about survival, but about enhancing the quality of that life. Taking care of the person in a holistic way also taking into account their emotional needs; moving out of a situation where the disease is at the centre and changing it to one where the patient and their needs, including psychological, social, professional needs, are at the centre. Taming and accepting a chronic illness also translates into better cooperation with the doctor and taking medication regularly, says Dr Magdalena Ankiersztejn-Bartczak.
On the road to a better life
One of the aspects negatively affecting well-being highlighted by respondents to the Positive Perspectives 2 survey is the stress associated with taking ARV drugs on a daily basis, felt by nearly a third of respondents. - For young people, taking medication every day can be a hassle, reminding them of their illness, of being on something. They would like to forget about their health problems, at least for a while. In older age, there are other medical conditions added to this, the need to take and remember more and different medications. This can be aggravating. However, there is another new treatment on the horizon - injection therapy taken once every two months. This gives us a wider field of action and allows us to tailor the therapy to the individual, including psychological needs of patients," says Professor Alicja Wiercińska-Drapało, Head of the Department of Infectious, Tropical and Hepatological Diseases at the WUM.
The results of the study also highlight the issue of appropriate levels of collaboration between health care professionals and people living with HIV. Better quality of doctor-patient communication, full information regarding, for example, the U=U principle (undetectable viral load = non-infectious), and the involvement of the patient in decisions about treatment. These are all elements that support and increase confidence in daily life.
In conclusion, we live in an era where early diagnosis of HIV is not a sentence. However, patients still need a tremendous amount of support, guidance and individualised treatment to overcome their fears and anxieties and face social stigma.
Source: mzdrowie.pl