Should I follow a special diet?

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You should follow a sensible, balanced diet, consuming a variety of fruits, vegetables, meats, dairy and grain products. Vitamins may be helpful as a supplement to a balanced diet, not as a substitute. If weight loss is a problem, you do not need to worry about cholesterol or fatty foods; they will actually help you to maintain your weight.

Some of the drugs used to treat HIV often cause high cholesterol levels. If this happens your doctor will usually advise a low cholesterol diet. This means cutting down on red meat, eggs, cheese and fried foods, switching to skim milk and increasing the proportion of fruits and vegetables in your diet.