Antiretroviral drugs are the main type of treatment for HIV or AIDS. It is not a cure, but it can stop people from becoming ill for many years. The treatment consists of drugs that have to be taken every day for the rest of a person’s life.
The aim of antiretroviral treatment is to keep the amount of HIV in the body at a low level. This stops any weak
ening of the immune system and allows it to recover from any damage that HIV might have caused already.
The drugs are often referred to as:
- antiretrovirals
- anti-HIV or anti-AIDS drugs
- HIV antiviral drugs
- ARVs
Taking two or more antiretroviral drugs at a time is called combination therapy. Taking a combination of three or more anti-HIV drugs is sometimes referred to as Highly Active Antiretroviral Therapy (HAART).
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