What are the routes of transmission of Hep B & Hep C? Hep B & C are transmitted like HIV i.e. through sex, contaminated blood transfusion, sharing contaminated needle etc.
If I am diagnosed with hepatitis B, how am I treated? Some ARV drugs help in the management of Hep B. Drugs that are active against both HIV and HBV include Tenofovir (TDF),Lamivudine (3TC), Dolutegravir (DTG), Emtricitabine (FTC) etc.
Can I take vaccination for prevention of Hepatitis B? Yes. PLHIV can take vaccination for prevention of Hepatitis B after consulting his/her healthcare provider.
What is the Hepatitis B vaccination schedule? For adults, 3 doses should be taken at 0,1 and 6 months.
What are the 4 symptoms (4S) for TB screening among children and adult PLHIV? The4S symptoms for TB screening among adult and adolescent PLHIV include current cough, fever, weight loss, and night sweats. In children the 4S symptom screening includes current cough, fever, poor weight gain, and history of contact with a TB case.
Who is eligible for Tuberculosis Preventive Therapy (TPT)? What are the criteria for initiating TPT? Does TPT completely prevent TB? PLHIV who are 4S negative and do not have any other indications like active TB disease, hepatitis or history of DR-TB or contacts of DR-TB can be given TPT.TPT helps in preventing the progression of latent TB to TB disease. It does not prevent you completely from getting TB. If you are diagnosed with TB during TPT, you should take ATT along with ART for a period of six months.
When should TPT be started? All the 4S negative should be assessed by the medical doctor to determine eligibility for TPT. If found eligible and there are no contraindications, then TPT should be initiated immediately.
TPT mandatory for everyone? It is not mandatory, but since TB prevalence is very high among PLHIV, it is recommended for all eligible PLHIV to take TPT.
Should all pregnant women get tested for HIV? Itis recommended that all pregnant women should be tested for HIV and, if found to be infected, must be offered treatment for themselves to improve their health and to prevent passing the virus to the infant before, during, or after childbirth. Hence, all pregnant women should get tested for HIV and treatment should be started immediately if found HIV positive.
When to conduct VL testing in a pregnant woman? Apart from the usual VL testing, in pregnant women VL testing should be conducted between 32 and 36 weeks of pregnancy to see the viral load suppression which will determine the ARV prophylaxis of child depending on the risk oftransmission.
Are some sexually transmitted infections (STIs) associated with HIV? Yes, some of the STI/RTI increase the risk of acquiring/transmitting HIV infection. These infections include syphilis, gonorrhea, herpes, chlamydia etc. If you are sexually active, then using condoms regularly, limiting the number of partners, and choosing less risky sexual activities can lower your chances of getting STDs and HIV.