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By Ronald Bugarin (From ART First Dose Chronicles, Illustration by TJ Gellada Monzon) For newly diagnosed Persons Living with HIV (PLHIV), among their top concerns are the possible side effects that might come once they start treatment. These side effects may have an impact on their way of life, especially at work and their studies. In this article, we will try to tackle the different antiretroviral (ARV) drugs, their possible side effects, and how to handle these side effects so as not to affect the PLHIVs way of life. Antiviral Drugs Antiretroviral or ARV is an inhibitor drug that blocks HIV from attaching to cells of immunity specifically the CD4 cell (also known as T-cell or T helper cells) and prevents it from multiplying. It has to be taken daily to suppress HIV and prevent the decline of the body's natural defense caused by the virus . Below are the various ARV drugs and the possible side effects that may occur upon taking said component: ARV DRUG FOR MONITORING SIDE EFF...

By Edgar Bagasol Jr. and John Oliver Corciega Reduced mobility and stringent community quarantine measures in the face of COVID-19 pose a major challenge for HIV health service providers and facilities, including LoveYourself. Roughly 6,000 PLHIV clients rely on the organization for uninterrupted access to life-saving medication and other HIV services.  Delivery rider for pioneer programs Xpress, iCON, and SelfCare Photo by Edgar Bagasol Jr. LoveYourself, a community of HIV advocates in the Philippines, continues community center operations and pioneers programs such as Xpress, iCON, and SelfCare, despite challenges brought about by the ongoing global coronavirus pandemic. “The pandemic affected our mobility. Everything was unprecedented,” says Danvic Rosadiño, LoveYourself’s Senior Operations Manager, with regard to the enhanced community quarantine (ECQ) that the Philippine government imposed to curb the spread of COVID-19. For people living with HIV (PLHIV), the continuous su...

By LoveYourself Communications MANDALUYONG CITY (March 20, 2020) – The LoveYourself, Inc., a community-based non-profit primary health care facility for people living with HIV (PLHIV), appeals for the support of the government for the continued and uninterrupted access of PLHIV to anti-retroviral (ARV) drugs. Primarily, LoveYourself asks for the help of concerned national agencies, the local government units, the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority, the Philippine National Police, and the Armed Forces of the Philippines to ensure smooth delivery of health services to the PLHIV community. The organization understands the government's precautions, and fully abide with the directives of the Department of Health (DOH) to help contain the spread of Corona Virus Disease 2019 (COVID-19), but the continued delivery of its services is crucial in addressing another kind of pandemic, which is HIV. LoveYourself Executive Director Ronivin Pagtakhan explained that "People living with...