Your A to Z guide on HIV: The top 10 things to know from prevention to a possible cure - News24

It remains common in South Africa, with about 240 000 infections a year, and is especially common among young women.

We give you the lowdown on everything - from prevention to treatment and cure.

The combination ARVs currently available in the country are extremely safe, simple to take, and are very well tolerated with very few people experiencing persistent side effects.

Several candidate HIV vaccines have been tested, and most recently the HVTN 702 one in South Africa.

This is almost certainly the future of HIV treatment - there’s considerable research into long-acting treatments on the go - and a first-generation version of a two-monthly injection is currently being trialled in sub-Saharan AfricaT

he injections aren’t available in South Africa yet, but they’ll likely be here within two to three years.

HIV prevention pills can reduce your risk of infection via sex by more than 90% if you take it each day.

The tablets consist of two ARVs - the same medication that people with HIV use in South Africa - and you can buy PrEP with a doctor’s prescription from pharmacies for about R300 per month or get it free from the government at more than 2 000 health facilities.

Since 2016, about 400 000 people have received HIV prevention pills in the public sector.

Earlier this year, results from a study that tested a two-monthly HIV prevention injection called cabotegravir showed the injection works better than a daily HIV prevention pill, mainly because adherence is so much easier (and better as a result).

The United States medicines regulator, the Food and Drug Administration, is currently reviewing cabotegravir and, if approved, the injection could become available in the US early in 2022.

Lots of new infections still occur in young women (between the ages of 15 and 24) and also in other often-marginalised groups, such as sex workers, men who have sex with men and people who inject drugs.

There are now even programmes looking at whether you can start ARV treatment on recommendation from a pharmacist at your local chemist (so without needing a doctor’s prescription) and also access HIV prevention pills that way.

There are some nifty urine tests that may help health workers to identify people who aren’t taking their medicine often enough, whether for prevention or treatment.

South African researchers have been part of this exciting research, as well as in tackling treatment for TB, which remains a major concern across our population, not only for HIV-positive people.

Gaining weight, sometimes a lot of weight, has emerged as a major concern for people on successful HIV treatment?

People still come in late, or even on their deathbeds, to get tested for HIV and start treatment.

Men who have sex with men, transgender people, sex workers, prisoners and people who inject drugs often are more vulnerable to getting infected, and usually get a raw deal when it comes to all forms of health care, not just HIV prevention and treatment.

South Africa needs to protect its victories, especially in preventing infections and improving ARV access.