While HIV cannot be cured, it can be treated with a group of drugs known asantiretrovirals.
When used in combination, antiretroviral drugs prevent the virus from making copies of itself.
By doing so, the virus can be suppressed to levels where it can do the body little harm.
Verywell / Theresa Chiechi
This article will discuss how antiretrovirals work to help people with HIV.
Verywell / Theresa Chiechi
What Is Antiretroviral Therapy?
The benefits of anundetectable viral loadare threefold:
How It Works
Antiretroviral drugs do not kill HIV.
Antiretrovirals are so named because HIV is a jot down of virus known as aretrovirus.
HIV is only one of two known retroviruses in humans.
The other is the human T-lymphotropic virus (HTLV).
To fully suppress HIV to undetectable levels, two or more antiretroviral drugs must be used incombination therapy.
To date, there is no single antiretroviral drug that alone can fully and durably suppress HIV.
Antiretroviral drugs need to be taken daily to maintain a consistent, suppressive level of medications in the bloodstream.
Many are formulated into fixed-dose combination (FDC) drugs comprised of two or more antiretrovirals.
FDC drugs are attractive because they offer greater ease of use.
Even so, side effects can occur and, in rare cases, be severe.
These tend to resolve within a few weeks as your body adapts to treatment.
Other side effects may be more severe.
Some can occur soon after treatment is started or develop weeks or months later.
The side effects can vary by the drug class and, in some cases, by the individual drug.
You will be asked to return every three to six months to have these blood tests repeated.
People who delay treatment until the disease is advanced generally have a harder time rebuilding their immune system.
Viral Load
The viral load measures the actual number of viruses in a sample of blood.
The viral load can run well into the millions if left untreated.
If treated appropriately, the viral load can be reduced to undetectable levels.
Undetectable does not mean that the virus is gone.
If ART is stopped, these latent viruses can reactivate and lead to a rebound in the viral load.
The viral load can also help determine if a treatment is failing due to drug resistance.
Drug resistance most often triggers when you don’t take your drugs as prescribed.
But it can also develop naturally after many years of treatment.
Recap
The CD4 count is a measure of your immune status.
The viral load is a measure of the amount of HIV in your blood.
Other Treatments
There are no other medications other than antiretrovirals that can control HIV.
Healthy lifestyle practices are also advised, irrespective of your CD4 count.
But it is not the sole factor involved in the selection of ART.
Both help improve adherence.
Let your doctor know if you have side effects that persist or worsen.
Similarly, if you frequently miss doses, don’t appease your doctor by telling them otherwise.
It is far better to be honest and let your doctor know about any troubles you are experiencing.
Often, treatment can be changed or simplified.
With that said, never stop treatment without first speaking with your doctor.
Summary
Antiretroviral therapy is used to control HIV.
These medications may have side effects.
Tests that monitor the effectiveness of antiretroviral therapy include the CD4 count and the viral load.
If you have trouble paying for your medications or doctor’s visits, some programs can help.
These include co-pay and patient assistance programs that can reduce your out-of-pocket costs to zero.
Speak with your doctor or a certified social worker experienced with HIV.
Frequently Asked Questions
No.
HIV is only genetic in that there is a multitude of genetic variants (versions).
HIV causes disease by targeting and killing white blood cells known as CD4 T-cell lymphocytes.
These are “helper” cells that signal when a foreign invader is present.
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