Antiretroviral therapy

Introduction Antiretroviral therapies (ART) have revolutionised HIV care, transforming what was once an almost invariably fatal illness into a treatable chronic disease. ARTs enable those with HIV, in many cases, to live near-normal lives (depending on factors such as stage at diagnosis). There are six major classes of medication; entry inhibitors, nucleoside/nucleotide reverse transcriptase inhibitors (NRTIs), non-nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitors (NNRTIs), integrase inhibitors, protease inhibitors and post-attachment inhibitors. The options available allow for changes to be made in light of resistance patterns, experienced side effects and personal risk factors. As a general rule, regimens consist of: Two nucleoside reverse transcriptase