Treatment and Care

Advances in HIV/AIDS treatment - some of which have been developed in Canada - have helped prolong the lives of people living with the disease and improved their quality of life. However, there is still no cure for HIV infection or for AIDS so prevention remains the only way to stop the epidemic.

In the meantime, governments and health care systems across Canada are striving to strengthen the continuum of care for people living with HIV/AIDS and to ensure reasonable access to diagnosis, treatment, support and rehabilitation as well as prevention services to reduce ongoing infections.

HIV-positive people are encouraged to consult a physician as soon as possible after learning their HIV status to fully benefit from the treatments available, including highly active antiretroviral treatments. They can also learn about other services and support available to them by calling their provincial/territorial HIV/AIDS hotline or by contacting a local AIDS service organization.

People living with HIV/AIDS in Canada, as well as their families, friends and caregivers, have access to a wealth of information about HIV/AIDS treatment and care:

• Canadian Aboriginal AIDS Network (CAAN), a non-profit coalition of individuals and organizations which provides leadership, support, and advocacy for Aboriginal people living with and affected by HIV/AIDS, regardless of where they reside.

• The Public Health Agency of Canada, in collaboration with a range of partners, has developed a series of Guides for People Living with HIV/AIDS.
  
  
• The Canadian AIDS Treatment Information Exchange (CATIE) offers free and confidential treatment information to Canadians living with HIV/AIDS and their professional and personal caregivers. Call toll-free (in Canada) 1-800-263-1638 to speak to a Treatment Information Services Representatives about HIV medications and complementary therapies, HIV medical and related psychological conditions, and HIV treatments and supplements. CATIE also provides HIV/AIDS information and referrals to HIV/AIDS services and clinical research trials across Canada.
  
  
• The Canadian HIV/AIDS Information Centre, a program of the Canadian Public Health Association, distributes free information on HIV prevention, care and support to people living with HIV/AIDS, health and education professionals, AIDS service organizations, community organizations, resource centres and others with HIV/AIDS information needs.
  
  
• The Canadian HIV Trials Network (CTN) can provide information about HIV clinical trials across Canada. The CTN is a partnership of clinical investigators, physicians, nurses, people living with HIV/AIDS, pharmaceutical manufacturers and others committed to developing treatments, vaccines and a cure.
  
  
• The Canadian Working Group on HIV and Rehabilitation (CWGHR) works with partners in the HIV/AIDS sector and with disability groups to develop resources, new knowledge and awareness about rehabilitation in the context of HIV.
  
  
• The Canadian Treatment Action Council (CTAC) works with the public and private sectors to support access to therapies and treatments for people living with HIV/AIDS by informing research and public policy, by promoting public awareness; by providing mentoring and skills building in these areas to people living with HIV/AIDS; and encouraging and facilitating the exchange of related information to stakeholders.
  
  
• The Canadian AIDS Society (CAS) represents a national coalition of more than 120 community-based AIDS organizations directed by people affected by HIV/AIDS. It speaks as a national voice for a community-based response to HIV infection, advocates for persons affected, acts as a resource for member organizations, and links people to AIDS organizations in their community.

More About Highly Active Antiretroviral Treatments

Highly active antiretroviral therapy - or HAART - is currently the main treatment for HIV/AIDS. It involves using a combination of three or more antiretroviral medications that work together to slow the rate at which HIV multiplies in the body, thus allowing the immune system to stay healthy and delaying progression of the disease to AIDS.

While the emergence of HAART in the late 1990s has helped to dramatically reduce AIDS-related death rates in Canada compared to the early years of the epidemic - enabling HIV-positive people to live longer and healthier lives - it can be difficult for people infected with HIV to find a drug regimen that works for them in part due to drug-related side effects. Long-term use of drug therapies can also cause organ damage, heart disease, diabetes and other health problems. Some treatments are beginning to fail because of drug resistance by new strains of the virus.

More information on HAART is available from your health care provider or the Canadian AIDS Treatment Information Exchange.