What You Should Know About HIV
HIV (human immunodeficiency virus) is a virus that attacks the human immune system. Unlike some other viruses, such as the common cold, HIV cannot be cleared from the body. There is no cure for HIV, but there are treatments available. Talk to your healthcare provider, and learn more about a treatment option.
How is HIV transmitted?
HIV is transmitted through contact with certain body fluids, such as semen, vaginal or anal fluids, breast milk, and blood. Contact with these body fluids can occur during unprotected sex or when sharing needles or other items with body fluids on them. Mothers can pass the HIV virus to their babies during pregnancy, birth, and breastfeeding. HIV CANNOT be transmitted through contact with sweat, tears, saliva, bath or pool water, or by insect bite, coughing, sneezing, drinking from a water fountain, preparing foods, sharing dishes or drinking glasses, hugging, kissing, or shaking hands.
How can HIV affect your body?
HIV attacks and destroys CD4 T cells — important immune system cells that help your body fight infections. The more CD4 T cells that are destroyed, the weaker the immune system can become. With fewer CD4 T cells due to HIV, it can be harder for your body to fight illnesses and infections.
What is the difference between HIV and AIDS?
Being HIV positive is not the same as having AIDS (acquired immunodeficiency syndrome). HIV is a virus that kills CD4 T cells in the body. Over time, if many CD4 T cells are killed, then the body has a reduced ability to fight infection and HIV can advance to AIDS. AIDS is a disease that can be caused by an untreated HIV infection. HIV infection advances to AIDS when there are less than 200 CD4 T cells per cubic millimeter of blood. If this happens, it means the immune system has become very weak, and someone can quickly become very sick.
How can HIV medicines fight HIV?
Two ways taking HIV medicine as prescribed helps your body fight HIV are by:
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Lowering the viral load (the amount of virus in the blood). HIV medicines can help people living with HIV achieve an undetectable viral load, meaning the amount of virus in the blood is so low that it can’t be measured by a lab test. Research shows that taking HIV treatment as prescribed and getting to and staying undetectable prevents transmitting HIV through sex.
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Raising the CD4 T-cell count (the number of cells that fight infections in the body). Lowering the HIV-1 viral load can help raise the CD4 T-cell number, which can help make the immune system stronger.
Because there are many benefits to starting HIV treatment, including the ones above, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends that people living with HIV start treatment as soon as possible after diagnosis.
Learn more about HIV treatment
What is BIKTARVY®?
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BIKTARVY is a complete, 1-pill, once-a-day prescription medicine used to treat HIV-1 in adults and children who weigh at least 31 pounds. It can either be used in people who have never taken HIV-1 medicines before, or people who are replacing their current HIV-1 medicines and whose healthcare provider determines they meet certain requirements.
BIKTARVY does not cure HIV-1 or AIDS. HIV-1 is the virus that causes AIDS.
What is BIKTARVY?
BIKTARVY is a complete, 1-pill, once-a-day prescription medicine used to treat HIV-1 in adults and children who weigh at least 31 pounds. It can either be used in people who have never taken HIV-1 medicines before, or people who are replacing their current HIV-1 medicines and whose healthcare provider determines they meet certain requirements.
BIKTARVY does not cure HIV-1 or AIDS. HIV-1 is the virus that causes AIDS.
IMPORTANT SAFETY INFORMATION
What is the most important information I should know about BIKTARVY?
BIKTARVY may cause serious side effects:
- Worsening of hepatitis B (HBV) infection. Your healthcare provider will test you for HBV. If you have both HIV-1 and HBV and stop taking BIKTARVY, your HBV may suddenly get worse. Do not stop taking BIKTARVY without first talking to your healthcare provider, as they will need to monitor your health, and may give you HBV medicine.
Who should not take BIKTARVY?
Do not take BIKTARVY if you take:
- dofetilide
- rifampin
- any other medicines to treat HIV-1
What are the other possible side effects of BIKTARVY?
Serious side effects of BIKTARVY may also include:
- Changes in your immune system. Your immune system may get stronger and begin to fight infections that may have been hidden in your body. Tell your healthcare provider if you have any new symptoms after you start taking BIKTARVY.
- Kidney problems, including kidney failure. Your healthcare provider should do blood and urine tests to check your kidneys. If you develop new or worse kidney problems, they may tell you to stop taking BIKTARVY.
- Too much lactic acid in your blood (lactic acidosis), which is a serious but rare medical emergency that can lead to death. Tell your healthcare provider right away if you get these symptoms: weakness or being more tired than usual, unusual muscle pain, being short of breath or fast breathing, stomach pain with nausea and vomiting, cold or blue hands and feet, feel dizzy or lightheaded, or a fast or abnormal heartbeat.
- Severe liver problems, which in rare cases can lead to death. Tell your healthcare provider right away if you get these symptoms: skin or the white part of your eyes turns yellow, dark “tea-colored” urine, light-colored stools, loss of appetite for several days or longer, nausea, or stomach-area pain.
The most common side effects of BIKTARVY in clinical studies were diarrhea (6%), nausea (6%), and headache (5%). Tell your healthcare provider if you have any side effects that bother you or don’t go away.
What should I tell my healthcare provider before taking BIKTARVY?
- All your health problems. Be sure to tell your healthcare provider if you have or have had any kidney or liver problems, including hepatitis virus infection.
- All the medicines you take, including prescription and over-the-counter medicines, antacids, laxatives, vitamins, and herbal supplements. BIKTARVY and other medicines may affect each other. Keep a list of all your medicines and show it to your healthcare provider and pharmacist, and ask if it is safe to take BIKTARVY with all of your other medicines.
- If you are pregnant or plan to become pregnant. Tell your healthcare provider if you become pregnant while taking BIKTARVY.
- If you are breastfeeding (nursing) or plan to breastfeed. Talk to your healthcare provider about the risks of breastfeeding during treatment with BIKTARVY.
You are encouraged to report negative side effects of prescription drugs to the FDA. Visit www.fda.gov/medwatch or call 1-800-FDA-1088.
Please see Important Facts about BIKTARVY, including important warnings.
What is BIKTARVY?
BIKTARVY is a complete, 1-pill, once-a-day prescription medicine used to treat HIV-1 in adults and children who weigh at least 31 pounds. It can either be used in people who have never taken HIV-1 medicines before, or people who are replacing their current HIV-1 medicines and whose healthcare provider determines they meet certain requirements.
BIKTARVY does not cure HIV-1 or AIDS. HIV-1 is the virus that causes AIDS.
IMPORTANT SAFETY INFORMATION
What is the most important information I should know about BIKTARVY?
BIKTARVY may cause serious side effects:
- Worsening of hepatitis B (HBV) infection. Your healthcare provider will test you for HBV. If you have both HIV-1 and HBV and stop taking BIKTARVY, your HBV may suddenly get worse. Do not stop taking BIKTARVY without first talking to your healthcare provider, as they will need to monitor your health, and may give you HBV medicine.
Who should not take BIKTARVY?
Do not take BIKTARVY if you take:
- dofetilide
- rifampin
- any other medicines to treat HIV-1
What are the other possible side effects of BIKTARVY?
Serious side effects of BIKTARVY may also include:
- Changes in your immune system. Your immune system may get stronger and begin to fight infections that may have been hidden in your body. Tell your healthcare provider if you have any new symptoms after you start taking BIKTARVY.
- Kidney problems, including kidney failure. Your healthcare provider should do blood and urine tests to check your kidneys. If you develop new or worse kidney problems, they may tell you to stop taking BIKTARVY.
- Too much lactic acid in your blood (lactic acidosis), which is a serious but rare medical emergency that can lead to death. Tell your healthcare provider right away if you get these symptoms: weakness or being more tired than usual, unusual muscle pain, being short of breath or fast breathing, stomach pain with nausea and vomiting, cold or blue hands and feet, feel dizzy or lightheaded, or a fast or abnormal heartbeat.
- Severe liver problems, which in rare cases can lead to death. Tell your healthcare provider right away if you get these symptoms: skin or the white part of your eyes turns yellow, dark “tea-colored” urine, light-colored stools, loss of appetite for several days or longer, nausea, or stomach-area pain.
The most common side effects of BIKTARVY in clinical studies were diarrhea (6%), nausea (6%), and headache (5%). Tell your healthcare provider if you have any side effects that bother you or don’t go away.
What should I tell my healthcare provider before taking BIKTARVY?
- All your health problems. Be sure to tell your healthcare provider if you have or have had any kidney or liver problems, including hepatitis virus infection.
- All the medicines you take, including prescription and over-the-counter medicines, antacids, laxatives, vitamins, and herbal supplements. BIKTARVY and other medicines may affect each other. Keep a list of all your medicines and show it to your healthcare provider and pharmacist, and ask if it is safe to take BIKTARVY with all of your other medicines.
- If you are pregnant or plan to become pregnant. Tell your healthcare provider if you become pregnant while taking BIKTARVY.
- If you are breastfeeding (nursing) or plan to breastfeed. Talk to your healthcare provider about the risks of breastfeeding during treatment with BIKTARVY.
You are encouraged to report negative side effects of prescription drugs to the FDA. Visit www.fda.gov/medwatch or call 1-800-FDA-1088.
Please see Important Facts about BIKTARVY, including important warnings.
What is BIKTARVY?
BIKTARVY is a complete, 1-pill, once-a-day prescription medicine used to treat HIV-1 in adults and children who weigh at least 31 pounds. It can either be used in people who have never taken HIV-1 medicines before, or people who are replacing their current HIV-1 medicines and whose healthcare provider determines they meet certain requirements.
BIKTARVY does not cure HIV-1 or AIDS. HIV-1 is the virus that causes AIDS.
