HIV Treatment Options

 

Unfortunately, there is still no cure or effective vaccine for HIV infection. However, today, there are quite a few medication options for treating HIV, including combination therapies known as cART (combination antiretroviral therapy).

HIV infection, opportunistic infections, and AIDS

HIV weakens the immune system by infecting and damaging CD4+ cells, white blood cells that fight infection. By regularly using immune monitoring tests, such as CD4+ cell count and viral load tests, your doctor can give you a clear picture of your disease progression, and help you make informed decisions about managing your HIV infection.

Types of HIV drugs

There are six different classes of HIV drugs approved for use in the United States. These are:

• Nucleoside Reverse Transcriptase Inhibitors (NRTIs)
• Non-Nucleoside Reverse Transcriptase Inhibitors (NNRTIs)
• Protease Inhibitors (PIs)
• Entry Inhibitors
• Fusion Inhibitors
• Integrase Inhibitors

Each type of HIV drug fights the virus in its own way by interfering with the production of new virus within the body. NRTIs and NNRTIs prevent the production of reverse transcriptase, a protein necessary for virus replication. Protease inhibitors prevent HIV's use of an enzyme critical to its replication. Entry and fusion inhibitors are HIV drugs that interfere with the virus' attempts to enter healthy CD4+ cells. Integrase inhibitors block the integration of HIV genetic material (viral DNA) into the genetic material of the body's own cells.

HIV drugs in combination therapy

Because each of these HIV drugs attacks the virus at different stages of its lifecycle, they are used in combination. This approach is known as "combination antiretroviral therapy" (cART) and combines three or more HIV drugs from among the different classes (e.g., two NRTIs and one PI). Some HIV drugs are combined in one pill (coformulation), allowing for fewer pills than when each drug is taken separately.

Beyond medication

Treatment with HIV drugs is only one part of maintaining a strong immune system. Nutrition, exercise, and your mental health are also important parts of addressing your well-being. Be sure to work with your healthcare provider to determine a course of disease management that is appropriate.