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Treatment for HIV is called antiretroviral therapy (ART).
- ART involves taking a combination of HIV medications on a regular basis, called a treatment regimen.
- ART doesn’t cure HIV, but it does help people live long, healthy lives with the virus.
- A main goal of ART is to reduce the amount of HIV in the body to an undetectable viral load.
- People whose viral load is undetectable cannot transmit the virus through sex.
U = U
Undetectable = not transferable
HIV drug classes
There are different classes of ART, grouped according to how they affect HIV in the body.
These classes are:
- Nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitors (NRTIs)
- Non-nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitors (NNRTIs)
- Protease inhibitors (PIs)
- Fusion inhibitors
- CCR5 antagonists
- Binding inhibitors
- Post-attachment inhibitors
- Integrase strand transfer inhibitors (INSTIs)
- Capsid inhibitors
Forms of HIV medications
People living with HIV generally take two or three HIV medications from at least two different drug classes as part of their treatment.
Some medicines are taken once a day, while others last longer and are taken less frequently.
These medications come in various forms, including:
- Single-pill therapies that combine multiple medications from different classes into one pill or tablet
- Multiple-pill treatments, which are multiple HIV medications taken in the form of 2 or more pills or tablets
- Two or more medicines combined in one tablet
- Oral suspensions, which are one or more medicines in liquid form
- Injectables, which are one or more drugs that are injected
There are more than 50 FDA-approved HIV medications to treat infections
Choosing a treatment regimen
- When deciding on a treatment plan, you and your doctor will consider factors such as:
- Other health conditions
- Possible side effects of HIV medications
- Possible interactions between HIV medications and other medications you take
- Whether the treatment regimen is suitable for you
- Any issues (e.g. lack of health insurance) that could prevent you from following your treatment plan
You can work with your doctor to develop the best treatment regimen for your health and lifestyle.
When does HIV treatment start to work?
The sooner you start ART after an HIV diagnosis, the sooner it can work. Talk to your doctor about starting ART immediately.
Once treatment is started, an HIV-infected person’s viral load typically becomes undetectable within three to six months.
Do you need HIV treatment but aren’t sure how to get it?
The Ryan White HIV/AIDS Program provides assistance to people who need help finding and paying for care.
resources
Ryan White HIV/AIDS Program
This educational resource was created with support from Merck.
