NAPWA's New HIV Treatments Campaign - What's it About?

You may not have heard about new scientific advances which are revolutionising HIV treatment and prevention in Australia and around the world. This new information could have important health benefits for you and your partners.

NAPWA is launching a national media campaign [1] to urge all people living with HIV to get the facts about these important changes - by starting a treatment conversation with their doctor.

The full advertising campaign is being launched on May 4, but people in NSW, Victoria and Queensland will already be seeing outdoor billboards promoting our campaign theme message: Start the conversation today.

NAPWA’s campaign is about the benefits of early HIV treatment and what this means for you. Recently released HIV treatment guidelines [2] now recommend HIV treatment for ALL people living with HIV, whether your infection is recent or longer term. This is based on growing evidence that delaying treatment can have a serious impact on your health, and that HIV treatments are now more effective and better tolerated.

There is also important new information about the additional benefit that being on treatment has in reducing the risk of transmitting HIV to others, when used alongside other measures like correct and consistent condom use.

Starting HIV treatments earlier prevents the damage associated with HIV replication during early stages of infection. Earlier treatment may also reduce the risk of developing things later on like cardiovascular disease, cancers, bone problems and neurological complications.

If you have been putting off taking treatment, NAPWA recommends that you talk to your doctor about how treatment may provide benefits for you and your partners.

Ultimately starting treatments is a personal decision – and NAPWA is working to ensure that all people living with HIV have the most up-to-date information and support to make their own health management decisions.

To read more about issues to be considered around HIV treatments see the Treataware resource A CHECKLIST GUIDE FOR PEOPLE WITH HIV [3].