Anonymous, 18
Being HIV positive, it’s hard to tell what’s worse… dying of AIDS or living with the constraints of my treatment. HIV treatment can be hell. The one I’m on is called HAART (highly active antiretroviral treatment). I take up to 10 different pills every day and hope that at least 1 of them starts slowing down the virus in my body.
This “cocktail” of prescription drugs might make me live longer, might make me healthier, and might slow down transmission of the virus, but it can’t cure me.
HIV is a virus that’ll always be in my body no matter how many pills I take to fight it.
Treatment is something I have almost no control over. I ALWAYS need my meds with me. At work, at the gym, at school, at home—always. Some meds I take with meals, some before meals, some after meals, some at different times, and so on. I also can’t drink or do drugs while I’m on treatment. HAART is hard on my liver, and without a healthy liver, my body can’t handle drugs or booze—sometimes I can barely handle food.
The only cocktails I get are the drug cocktails of HAART. It’s complicated and expensive, but I hope it’s saving my life.
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