When should I start taking my anti-retrovirals?

I want to know when is the best time for me to start anti-retroviral treatment (ART)?

Does anti-retroviral therapy help?

Does anti-retroviral therapy (ART) really keep you alive for longer, and for how long can you expect to live? How much do anti-retrovirals (ARVs) cost a month, and where are they available? Can you get them from a doctor?

John

How do emergency ARVs prevent you from contracting HIV?

If you are raped by someone who is HIV-positive and you then go on emergency ARVs in order to prevent you getting the disease, how do they stop you from getting HIV? I’ve heard that with normal ARVs you can only take them after your CD4 count has dropped below 200, so how are the emergency ARVs different? How do they stop you from actually getting the disease if you take them right away, but don’t stop you from getting the disease if you wait before you take them?

How long do ARVs keep you alive?

I know that ARVs make it possible to live with HIV/AIDS, but how long can you live on ARVs?

Will my doctor help me with my ARV treatment?

I was receiving my ARV treatment at my nearest clinic, but now I am on a medical aid, so I’m supposed to be treated by my doctor. However, the clinic staff doesn’t want me to be treated by my doctor, as they say that I will die. They say that the doctors don’t care about us, they only care about money. Is this true, because am confused and scared now?