Is HIV treatment likely to have any effects at work?

The combination therapy for HIV requires a number of activities. These include doctor's appointments for a check-up every 3 months, or more frequently early in treatment. This will be mainly during working hours if at an NHS clinic. The therapy will also involve taking pills to a rigorous schedule.

Anti-HIV drugs can cause side-effects during the first weeks of treatment. Some have serious implications, and some can be long term.

There can be psychological and emotional implications of taking HIV treatment such as stress, trauma, and depression.

You may need to consider long-term effects. Anti-HIV drugs have to be taken indefinitely and continuously. And HIV can become resistant to one or more drugs, lessening the effects of the treatment. The risk of resistance increases when the treatment is not taken regularly at strict schedules.

The Terrence Higgins Trust has guidance on taking medication at work on its website.