Can PLWH drink?
I have often been asked : can a person living with #HIV drink #alcohol? Won’t it affect their medication?
Here is my answer :
Yes, they CAN drink.
But a whole lot of factors has to be taken into consideration :
1) Medicine time.
Alcohol and medicine don’t mix. Never!
Schedule your medicine intake 4 hours before. If you are a social drinker who drink occasionally then it is better to reschedule your medicine to ONE time only that shouldn’t interfere with your lifestyle. Like for example - my medicine is at 12 noon; perfect time and perfect balance.
2) ADHERENCE to medicine is a must.
Be open and honest about your alcohol use with your HIV specialist so that the doctor can develop a plan for you to stick to your HIV medicine without fail. It is important to stay healthy and prevent transmission. People living with HIV who is on ART have to follow strict adherence to get and keep UNDETECTABLE viral load which has been a scientific proof that this have effectively no risk of sexually transmitting HIV to negative partner.
3) Responsibility.
Drink in moderation. Drink to enjoy your time and company, not drink to get drunk. Don’t let the drink become an addiction. Don’t have sex if you are drunk or high on drugs. And use a protective barrier (condoms) every time you have sex.
So go ahead, enjoy your drink during weekends. Here is a picture of me with my T G I F moment in front of my laptop as I am working to meet my deadlines, at the same time enjoying myself being “productive” ♥️
