• Question: At what time a person with HIV and AIDS take in the arvs

    Asked by Joshua Da Edwardo to Caroline on 6 Jul 2017.
    • Photo: Caroline Ogwang

      Caroline Ogwang answered on 6 Jul 2017:


      Hi Joshua,

      In Kenya we use the Ministry of Health guidelines to determine when to start treatment for HIV infection.

      In adults and adolescents treatment is started if they have either of the following:
      • specific severe illnesses that occur when one has advanced HIV infection/ a very weak immune system
      • a low count of a type of white blood cell called CD4+, which is a lymphocyte. A decrease in its amount is an indication of the weakening of the immune system due to HIV infection.

      Children and pregnant mothers should be started on treatment regardless of the above mentioned, as soon as it has been confirmed that they are HIV infected. This is because children not started early on treatment can have rapid progression of the disease leading to death. All pregnant mothers are started on treatment to prevent them from infecting their unborn child.

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