Do herbal therapies for HIV work?

I’m Dr. Charlene Flash and I’m here to talk about HIV.

There are not herbal medications that will treat your HIV. You wanna make sure that you’re looking into these medications called antiretrovirals because they are treating this virus called HIV.

Now, if I have a patient that wants to take herbal medication alongside their HIV meds, tell me about it so I can make sure that there are not drug interactions that are gonna make your HIV meds not work as well.

Please take the medication that we know is proven, because my goal for you…

…is to be healthy, to live as long as possible, to have your viral load be undetectable, to have your immune system be strong.

This video is a joint production of KFF’s GREATER THAN HIV and CDC’s LET’S STOP HIV TOGETHER. This information is shared for educational purposes and should not be used as a substitute for professional medical advice. The views expressed are those of the featured medical professional and reflect information available to that professional at the time of filming.

Always consult a healthcare provider for any personal health decisions. The marks “CDC” and “Let’s Stop HIV Together” are owned by the US Dept. of Health and Human Services and are used with permission. Use of these logos is not an endorsement by HHS or CDC of any particular product, service, or enterprise.