HIV is an uncommon type of virus called a retrovirus, and drugs developed to disrupt the action of HIV are known as antiretrovirals or ARVs. These come in a variety of formulations designed to act on different stages of the life-cycle of HIV.
The AIDS virus mutates rapidly, which makes it extremely skilful at developing resistance [...]
Regular checkups will help your doctor monitor your health. Your checkups will likely include a physical exam and lab tests, such as a CD4 count, viral load test, and may also include a test to see if your HIV strain is resistant to any HIV drugs. This information will help your doctor recommend a time [...]
Anti-retroviral drugs inhibit the growth and replication of HIV at various stages of its life cycle. Seven classes of these drugs are available:
Nucleoside analogue reverse transcriptase inhibitors (NRTIs). NRTIs were the first anti-retroviral drugs to be developed. They inhibit the replication of an HIV enzyme called reverse transcriptase. They include zidovudine (Retrovir), lamivudine (Epivir), didanosine [...]