If you've just found out that you are HIV positive, you might be wondering what alcohol and other "recreational" drugs will do to your body. (Recreational drugs are drugs that aren't used for medical purposes, such as beer, cocaine, and pot.) You may be wondering whether drugs are bad for your immune system. And what about your HIV medications--can recreational drugs affect those?
Nobody can say for sure whether using alcohol or other drugs is bad for you. Each person is different, and a lot depends on which drugs you use and how often you use them.
However, most experts would agree that, in large amounts, drugs and alcohol are bad for your immune system and your overall health. Remember, if you have HIV, your immune system is already weakened.
Here, you can read about what alcohol and drugs can do to your overall health.
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