Medicines to Treat HIV

Medicines to Treat HIV

There are many different types of medicines to treat HIV. These medicines are called antiretrovirals. They are grouped into classes. Each class works in a different way to help fight HIV. Healthcare professionals usually recommend medicines from 2 or more classes to fight HIV.

This is called Antiretroviral Therapy, or ART. Your healthcare professional will determine the right combination of medicines to treat your HIV.

  • Visit your healthcare professional regularly when taking HIV medications
  • Talk to your healthcare professional before stopping or changing any of the HIV medicines you are taking
  • Talk to your healthcare professional about the results of your CD4+ cell count and viral load tests and what they mean

Take HIV medicines exactly as directed because if they are not taken as prescribed, or if you miss a dose or if you stop treatment this can cause the viral load to increase or can cause drug resistance.

+