Leading HIV Advocacy Group offering Free HIV Test
For newly diagnosed Persons Living with HIV (PLHIV), among their top concerns are the possible side effects that might come once they start treatment. These side effects may have an impact on their way of life, especially at work and their studies. In this article, we will try to tackle the different antiretroviral (ARV) drugs, their possible side effects, and how to handle these side effects so as not to affect the PLHIVs way of life.
To support iCON and SelfCare, LoveYourself also introduced the acXess program to ensure the continuum of care, especially among clients who obtain reactive HIVST results. Services covered include confirmatory HIV testing, viral load, and CD4 testing, and Hepatitis B, syphilis, and CBC diagnostic services.
Access to a healthcare professional is another need expressed by LoveYourself’s PLHIV clients. This has become challenging with COVID, primarily because they are concerned about their susceptibility to COVID-19 if they go out, due to their immunocompromised status. While there is still no evidence to prove that they have an indeed greater risk of acquiring COVID-19, the World Health Organization (WHO) still advises PLHIVs, especially “those with advanced diseases, those with low CD4 and high viral load, and those who are not taking ARV” to take extra precaution.