A rumor has been circulating that antiretroviral treatment cures HIV/AIDS permanently. False, say specialists and an individual living with HIV, according to AFC.
Verification:
Dr. Ouambita-Mabo Roch, Public Health Advisor at the National Committee for the Fight Against AIDS (CNLS), denies:
“To say that someone can be cured of HIV/AIDS after prolonged use of ARVs is completely false. Once a person contracts the virus, which is present in the blood, it cannot be eliminated, even with proper ARV use for 12 months. Antiretroviral treatment prevents diseases and complications related to HIV and saves lives.”
Dr. Amity Tatiana, head of the Boy-Rabe Health Center, also refutes:
“No, ARVs do not cure HIV/AIDS. Instead, they are medications prescribed to patients to slow down the virus’s replication in the patient’s body.”
According to Abel Gueret-Mayanga, president of the Central African Association of Green Fingers Victims of HIV (ACADVS):
“ARVs do not permanently cure HIV. To this day, scientists have not found a medication to completely cure this virus. ARVs are an adequate treatment that blocks the virus’s replication in the blood and extends the lifespan of individuals living with the virus. I urge my peers to be very cautious.”
According to UNAIDS, “Combined antiretroviral therapy prevents HIV from multiplying and can reduce the virus in the blood. It allows the patient’s immune system to recover, combat infections, and avoid the development of AIDS and other long-term effects of HIV infection.”
Antiretrovirals prevent HIV from replicating in patients’ bodies, allowing them to live almost normal lives. They do not eradicate the virus, and therefore do not constitute a cure. An individual starting antiretroviral treatment today will have the same life expectancy as an HIV-negative person of the same age.
By Princia Yalla / Romaric Gbomandji / AFC
This article is produced as part of the AFC-Internews partnership funded by USAID. However, the content does not reflect the partner’s responsibility.
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