HIV rates still rising in Canada, but treatment is simpler, safer and effective

published on November 17, 2015 by Allison Vuchnich, in Global News

For those newly infected and diagnosed with HIV in Canada, if they seek treatment right away, the long-term outlook is quite different than it used to be.

“The news is very good compared to 20 years ago…a young person diagnosed with HIV today, a young adult, who begins therapy shortly thereafter and takes therapy every day, exactly as directed, is expected to live into their 70s, or even 80s. It’s a really good forecast, people can go back to work, people can lead a healthy life,” Sean Hosein, science and medicine editor at CATIE told Global News.

The old treatment regimens included taking handfuls of pills multiple times a day and came with side effects, now treatment can just be one pill, taken once a day.

“They were awful the old regimens” said Hosein. “Treatment is a lot simpler, it’s a lot safer and it’s better tolerated.”

Treatment and outlooks can be different for those who have HIV for years and delay treatment.

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Life expectancy varies in Canada

A study released in August found that Canadians diagnosed with HIV are living longer than ever, inequalities in life expectancy persist across the country.

The study, from the Canadian Observational Cohort Collaboration, indicated the overall life expectancy of Canadians undergoing antiretroviral treatment for the AIDS-causing virus had climbed to 65 years — about a 16-year jump since 2000.

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HIV rates still rising in Canada, but treatment is simpler, safer and effective

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