Facilitator Guide - EngenderHealth

The virus that causes AIDS; a virus that attacks the human immune system; a virus forwhich there is not a cure yet. The answer you want to elicit is that, HIV is a type of viruswhich attacks CD4 cells. Viruses are very small organisms that are not easily visible tothe eye. They are difficult to see even with a microscope. HIV is a type of virus calledretro virus that replicates (reproduces itself) and also mutates (changes itself) once itenters a person’s body. The drugs that are used to fight HIV are antiretroviral drugs,shortened to ARV, because they interfere with HIV virus in order to stop it from replicatingand changing.2. Ask the participants to give you a simple definition of antiretroviral therapy. Invite afew responses and write them on a flip chart, then show the following definition:• Antiretroviral Therapy (ART): Giving ARV drugs in the correct combination,with adherence support, is called ARV therapy, shortened to ART.• The powerful combination of three different antiretroviral drugs is called ARTregimen. This is the standard of good therapy, and has the greatest benefitsfor the longest time.Clarify that ARV means "Antiretroviral" drugs. ART means "Anti-Retroviral Therapy". It is a combination of at least three ARV drugs. However,on many occasions ARV and ART may be used interchangeably.Facilitator Guide1Adherence to Treatment for HIV3. Explain that in separate sessions we will explore what adherence means and how wecan support people on ART to adhere to treatment. In this session we will continue todiscuss what ART is.Activity B10 minutes1. Show a flip chart/slide with the following two separate statements.What is the goal of ART?• To reduce the concentration of the HIV virus in the blood as much as possible.• To increase the number of CD4 cells (i.e., to boost the immune system) as much aspossible.2. Ask the question: What is the correct answer? Instruct the participants to discusstheir opinions briefly in pairs for five minutes, and then ask each pair to give theiranswer. Tick how many responses you get for each goal of ART and how many pairssay that both are correct. Explain that both answers on the flip chart are correct andthey represent the two main goals of ART, as they are interrelated.29