Taking HIV & Hep C medications

Medications may be part of how we take care of ourselves, whether or not we are living with HIV or Hep C. If we are living with HIV or Hep C, a health care provider will help connect us to medications that are right for us. There is medication we can take if we are HIV-negative to prevent HIV. There is not medication that we can take to prevent Hep C. We get to make our own decisions about whether or not to take medications when it comes to HIV, Hep C, and our other health needs. When making decisions about taking medications, we may want to consider benefits and potential side effects, our relationship with our doctors, and if we are able to share that we are taking HIV or Hep C medications with other people in our life.

It is possible to take HIV and Hep C medications at the same time as hormones or other gender-affirming care. Some health care providers may not know that the hormone replacement therapy that some T2SNB folks are on is possible to take alongside most Hep C and HIV medications. Healthcare providers should not refuse us HIV or Hep C medication based on our use of gender-affirming hormones. We may need to monitor our liver and kidney function more closely while taking treatment, and/or take different hormones to avoid interactions with certain medications. It is always our choice if we want to do this or not. It is also important to know that if we are looking at HIV or Hep C medications, we may want to talk to our doctors if we may become pregnant or are pregnant now. These medications can impact our pregnancy and the development of the fetus.