Whether or not you go on meds for HIV is up to you. Meds can help, but they do have side effects.

Talk to your doctor about meds and their side effects and decide which course of action is best for you.

If you've just recently been diagnosed as HIV+Positive, you are possibly at the apex of your infection. A lot will depend on how you take care of yourself from here on in, as well as which drug therapies, if any, you will elect to try.

Many advancements have been made in the treatment of HIV over the past decade. More are yet to come. But meds still have side effects; some side effects most people can live with, others can be very unpleasant. You should talk to your doctor and discuss the many drug treatment options that may be available to you. Also discuss short and long-term side effects.

Not all HIV+Positive people have chosen to follow drug therapies. Some prefer following a more holistic approach with whole foods and/or alternative natural medicine. Others have chosen to use drug therapy only when necessary, or take frequent "Med Holidays" (periods of time when they go off the treatment). Med holidays can allow the body to heal from the toxicity of some of the drugs, but they can also allow the virus to get the upper hand again.

Once you start on a drug therapy, you'll need to be faithful to the schedule. This may mean re-arranging your life a bit. If you go lax on your schedule, you won't be letting the drugs do their job adequately. Only you can determine how important it is to you to defeat the virus by adhering to your schedule.

Some treatments require taking a lot of pills per day. You might want to find times of day that ensure your privacy when you take your meds, especially at your workplace. If you have trouble remembering what to take and when, get yourself a pill organizer. Some have snap-in containers so you can take your individual day's supply with you and keep it organized.

Give yourself time to think over the options. It's your life. Make your decisions wisely!

For answers to questions about AIDS medications, visit http://www.aidsmeds.com/