Who can get HIV?
How do you get HIV?
Stopping the spread of HIV
Are you or others at risk?
Signs and symptoms of HIV
Testing for HIV
How HIV works in the body
The facts about HIV
Questions for your healthcare provider
Questions for your healthcare provider
Starting treatment
Treatment plans and goals
HIV medicines
Tips for taking your medicines
Tips for taking your medicines
Are your medicines working?
Side effects of treatment
Tips for dealing with side effects
Tips for dealing with side effects
Treatment breaks
Switching medicines
Paying for treatment
Public assistance
Private health insurance
Patient assistance programs
The truth about treatment
Talking about HIV
Telling your partner
Telling your family
Telling your friends
Telling your coworkers
Healthy eating
What is a healthy diet?
Guide to gaining weight
Staying active
Depression and HIV
Women and HIV
Living with pets
What is HIV
Testing for HIV
How HIV works in the body
HIV medicines
Nucleoside Reverse Transcriptase Inhibitors
Nucleoside Reverse Transcriptase Inhibitors
Non-Nucleoside Reverse Transcriptase Inhibitors
Non-Nucleoside Reverse Transcriptase Inhibitors
Integrase Inhibitors
Protease Inhibitors
Entry Inhibitors
Preventing infections
Around the house
Cooking and food safety for people living with HIV
Cooking and food safety for people living with HIV
Giving everyday care
Taking care of the caregiver
Herpes and other STDs
Genital herpes
Syphilis
Gonorrhea
Chlamydia
Trichomoniasis
Genital warts
Depression and other nervous system diseases
Depression and other nervous system diseases
Depression
Toxoplasmosis
Cryptococcal meningitis
Peripheral neuropathy
GI system problems
Diarrhea
Gastroesophageal reflux disease
Gastroesophageal reflux disease
Oral thrush
Diabetes and other metabolic disorders
Diabetes and other metabolic disorders
Diabetes
Wasting Syndrome
Lipodystrophy
Heart disease
Kidney disease
Liver disease
Hepatitis A
Hepatitis B
Hepatitis C
Cirrhosis
Pneumonia and other respiratory diseases
Pneumonia and other respiratory diseases
Pneumonia
Tuberculosis
Overview of the epidemic
What are HIV and AIDS?
HIV/AIDS milestones
HIV/AIDS on a global scale
HIV/AIDS in the United States
The changing face of HIV/AIDS
Section quiz
From HIV to AIDS
The biology of HIV
How HIV makes people sick
After HIV infects cells
How HIV is diagnosed
HIV stages and symptoms
Advanced HIV/clinical AIDS
Section quiz
Transmission of HIV
Overview of HIV transmission
Conditions for HIV transmission
Conditions for HIV transmission
Myths about HIV transmission
Sexual transmission of HIV
Drug-associated HIV transmission
Drug-associated HIV transmission
Vertical transmission of HIV
Transfusion, transplant, and artificial insemination HIV risk
Transfusion, transplant, and artificial insemination HIV risk
HIV transmission in healthcare settings
HIV transmission in healthcare settings
Section quiz
Correlates of HIV risk
Biological risk factors for HIV
Biological risk factors for HIV
Psychological risk factors for HIV
Psychological risk factors for HIV
Demographic risk factors for HIV
Demographic risk factors for HIV
Behavioral risk factors for HIV
Behavioral risk factors for HIV
Section quiz
HIV/AIDS treatment
Treatment advances in HIV/AIDS
Treatment advances in HIV/AIDS
Slowing down HIV
Successful antiretroviral therapy
Successful antiretroviral therapy
HIV treatment success factors
HIV-related complications
Section quiz
Living with HIV/AIDS
Psychological disorders in HIV
Psychological disorders in HIV
The psychology of HIV/AIDS therapy
The psychology of HIV/AIDS therapy
Uncertainties of HIV/AIDS
HIV/AIDS-related grief
Stigma and discrimination
Section quiz
Positive prevention
The need for positive prevention
The need for positive prevention
Positive prevention target populations
Positive prevention target populations
Prevention goals and barriers
Positive prevention strategies
Positive prevention strategies
Prevention via antiretroviral therapy
Prevention via antiretroviral therapy
Section quiz
Resources
Positive News
Slide kits
Patient education
Web links
References
Brochures for patients
GSK's commitment
Hope after HIV
Positive action
GSK for You
Useful links
Organizations
People living with advanced HIV disease or AIDS can get very sick from common germs and viruses. But there are things you can do to keep your loved one as healthy as possible for as long as possible.
Here are some steps caregivers can take that help protect the people they care for. Click on any of the steps to get more information.
Wash your hands often
When taking care of a person with HIV, be sure to wash your hands before you make food and after you go to the bathroom. Also, wash your hands after you sneeze or cough into your hands. Use lotion if your hands get dry or sore. Using hand lotions that fight germs is also a good way to help prevent infection. You can buy them at your local pharmacy or grocery store.
Cover your sores
If you have an open cut or sore, make sure to keep it covered with a bandage. When you are taking care of a person with HIV, you do not want to pass on an infection and you want to make sure your open sore does not come into contact with body fluids that contain HIV.
When taking care of a person with HIV, don't allow visits from people who are sick
People who are sick should stay away from the person you are caring for. What should you do if you are sick and no one else can help out? Wear a tight-fitting hospital mask over your mouth and nose. This protects the person you are caring for from infection. You can buy these masks at a pharmacy. Also, wash your hands more often.
Get your childhood shots and boosters
When taking care of a person with HIV, make sure that everyone in your house has been vaccinated for mumps, measles, and rubella. Ask your healthcare provider if you should get boosters (revaccinated) for these shots.
Polio vaccine
If someone in the house needs polio vaccine, be sure he or she is given an inactive form of the vaccine. If they get an active form, there is a chance they could accidentally make someone with advanced HIV disease or AIDS sick.
When taking care of a person with HIV, take special care if you have pets or if you work in the garden
You can pick up germs and infections from pets and from working in the garden. Be sure to wash your hands after playing with an animal or gardening. It is fine for pets to be around you and a person with advanced HIV disease or AIDS. Just make sure you both wash your hands after touching the pet. Also, to prevent infection, people with advanced HIV disease or AIDS should never touch animal feces or clean a cat's litter box.
Beware of chickenpox. Chickenpox can be deadly for people with advanced HIV disease or AIDS. They must stay away from anyone who has chickenpox or shingles (another disease caused by the same virus that causes chickenpox). Even people who have recently been around someone with either of these diseases can put the person with HIV at serious risk. Contact a healthcare provider right away if the person you care for is exposed to chickenpox or shingles.
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