HIV treatment is more than medical. While it can get you to undetectable and keep you healthy, treatment must also fit into your life. And how it does so is completely up to you. That may go against conventional wisdom regarding medication. But your HIV meds work best when they work with your schedule. Here are some steps to take to determine how your treatment can best suit your life’s particular situation.

Take stock of your daily routine. A lot of tasks compete for your attention daily. Going to work, picking up and caring for loved ones, household errands, cooking meals—the list goes on and on. Is taking your HIV medication as ingrained for you as brushing your teeth, or does it feel like a chore? Having an honest conversation with yourself first will help you have important conversations with your health care professional later. 

Some people, for whatever personal reason, haven’t gotten into the rhythm of daily treatment. (This is normal, by the way. About half of people in the United States who are prescribed medication have some trouble taking it.) If that’s the case for you, you might want to research other treatments and have a chat with a physician. 

Compare your current treatment to other available ones. What treatment are you on now? Does it require taking a pill? Were you instructed to take it in the morning or at night? You can use POZ’s HIV Drug Chart to compare your current regimen against others and see whether any others might better fit into your day. 

For qualitative evidence regarding treatment, you can also talk to other people living with HIV about their experiences in the POZ Forums. 

Talk to your doctor. Having a conversation with your doctor about treatment doesn’t  only have to occur when you’re thinking of switching or having an issue with treatment. 

Anthony Urbina, MD, the medical director at the Comprehensive Clinic at Mount Sinai’s Institute for Advanced Medicine, says he has a conversation around routines and long-acting injectable HIV medication with all of his patients, regardless of whether they’re thinking of switching. “For people who are very good at adhering to a daily pill, they have their routine, and they don’t have that much interest,” he says. 

Talk to your doctor about how your treatment feels; they can help talk you through your current options, whether that means staying the course or trying something new. Sometimes, Urbina says, when he explains that the current standard of care for the injection requires more clinical visits per year, some patients balk. “When I explain what it entails, they are like, ‘No, I think I’ll just stick with the orals.” 

Other folks might appreciate the additional trips to the clinic, as they can help them establish a better routine and give them more face time with their care team, including their doctor. 

There are a lot of options when it comes to HIV medication. Ultimately, the medication that will help you feel your healthiest is the one that works for your particular lifestyle.