Although there is still no cure, treatment is available so that a long and healthy life is now possible. Treatment has even advanced a lot over the years since the effective “cocktail of anti-retroviral” medications first became available in 1996.
Today, a lot of the supportive service work is to help people overcome various barriers in order to help them access these life-saving medications, take them daily as prescribed, and to get to doctor’s appointments on a regular basis.
The standard of care is to become linked to medical services within 30 days diagnosis. This means it is important to know your status so that treatment can start as soon as possible after infection. Treatment will suppress the virus so that the immune system can stay healthy.
HIV/AIDS isn’t over until there is a cure, so the work for this cause must continue. Together we will ensure that no one is forgotten. Long Term Survivors need support for the experiences they endured. Anyone affected by loss of a loved one to AIDS-related complications may need support as well.
Together we can help end the epidemic—get everyone tested and into care for life-saving treatment. Treatment saves lives and can also help end transmissions. Successfully maintained treatment means that HIV is “virally undetectable” and that means un-transmittable.
The goal of services at Thursday’s Child is to help HIV+ persons gain and maintain access to HIV care in order that they stay healthy and so that we can achieve an AIDS-free generation.