Positive Friends Home Page Think Positive!

HIV / AIDS

What medications are available for HIV?

There are a number of approved drugs used to help combat HIV. The first group of drugs used are called nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitors (NRTIs). These drugs interfere with HIV’s ability to copy itself and delay the onset of opportunistic infections. This group includessuch drugs as AZT, ddI, ddC, 3TC, abacivir, and tenofovir. These drugs are often used in combination with non-nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitors (NNRTIs). These include delvaridine, nevirapine, and efavirenz.

The other class of drugs used for HIV treatment are called protease inhibitors. These drugs interfere with HIV’s ability to assemble into new virons (whole viruses) after they have reproduced. These drugs include ritonivir, saquinivir, indinavir, amprenivir, nelfinivir, and lopinavir.

Because HIV has shown to develop a resistance to many of these drugs, the preferred treatment regimen is a combination of several of these medications referred to as HAART, highly active antiretroviral therapy. This approach is used for both newly-infected individuals and those with long-term infection.

This question has been viewed 1568 times so far.

Click Here to View all the questions in HIV / AIDS category.

Related Questions

1. What is AIDS?
2. Who is really at greatest risk for getting HIV?
3. How many people have AIDS?
4. Are Semen and Vaginal Secretions the only fluids that can carry the AIDS virus?
5. How easy is HIV to catch?
6. For additional information about AIDS and HIV
7. Are there medical treatments for people with HIV disease?
8. How many people have HIV/AIDS?
9. I’ve heard a lot of different things about HIV surviving outside the body. What is the truth?
10. Are there any morning after pills to prevent transmission of AIDS in the case that a condom has broken?
11. Can I get HIV from kissing?
12. If I have HIV, can I get another STI?
13. Does having HIV mean my life can never be normal again?
14. How can I tell if someone has HIV?
15. What are the symptoms of HIV?
16. Can I get HIV from a blood transfusions?
17. What can a pregnant woman do if she thinks she has been exposed to HIV?
18. How do you prevent HIV transmission among injection drug users?
19. Where can I get tested for HIV?
20. Is there a cure for HIV and AIDS?
21. What is the best way to prevent sexual transmission of HIV?
22. What tests are available to see if someone is infected with HIV?
23. How could I get HIV?
24. Why are these called “opportunistic infections?”
25. Is HIV fatal for everyone who has it?
26. Are there other ways of testing for HIV?
27. How can I tell if I have HIV?
28. Can I get HIV from performing oral sex?
29. What are some of the common AIDS-defining conditions?
30. How does HIV lead to AIDS?
31. What is HIV?
32. Does this mean that everyone infected with HIV is going to die from it?
33. When are there symptoms?
34. What if I have HIV?
35. Can I get HIV from mosquitoes?
36. If a woman living with HIV is pregnant, will the pregnancy affect the progression of her HIV disease? What about passing it to the fetus?
37. What is a retrovirus?
38. What does HIV do?
39. Can I get HIV by donating blood?
40. Are any tests available for someone who already knows they are infected with HIV?
41. If someone is infected with HIV but they do not get sick from it, can they still transmit it to others?
42. Is there a difference between HIV and AIDS?
43. Should I be tested?
44. How can I avoid getting HIV?