Adherence Assistance

by Kellee Terrell

Managing your meds

HIV survives by using the cells of your immune system—your CD4 cells—to replicate. The meds stop that replication from happening, so it’s crucial to take them every day at the correct time in order to achieve the full benefit. Skipping doses can lead to resistance of not only the regimen you’re currently on, but also the combos you might need to take in the future, explains Smith. “This is not just about
your health now, but your health down the line.”

Suggestions to stay on top of your meds:

Buy a pillbox: Evidence shows that people who use pillboxes are more likely to take their meds on time and every day. Not only can they help you stay on schedule, but prying eyes won’t necessarily recognize the pills as meds for HIV—anonymity is very important to many of us.

Make it part of your daily routine: “If you take all of your pills when you go to bed, have the bottles on the nightstand, or if you are taking them in the morning, have them by your toothpaste in the bathroom,” says M. Keith Rawlings, MD, of Dallas. “If you find that after a few months these cues are not working, switch them up.”