Medication

HIV antiretroviral treatment is 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 the patient has to take every day for the rest of his or her life. The drugs fight the HIV infection itself by slowing down the replication of the virus in the body. The drugs are often referred to as antiretrovirals, anti-HIV drugs or HIV antiviral drugs.

Antiretrovirals have improved over the last few years. Now HIV-infected persons can live longer when taking the medication. Ten years ago, a 20 year old HIV patient had the chance to become 56 years. This has now increased by 13 years: today, HIV-patients can reach an average of 69 years.

The pharmaceutical industry has developed combination pills which are easier to take and have fewer side effects.

A negative result of the (improved) antiretrovirals is that condom use among homosexual men has decreased. Although persons taking HIV antiviral drugs are less likely to transmit the disease, the danger of a transmission is not banned completely and it is still possible to transfer parts of the virus.

Sources:
www.soaaids.nl
aids.gov/basic/overview/index.html
www.who.int/hiv/pub/guidelines/artadultguidelines.pdf
www.aidsportal.org/Article_Details.aspx
www.avert.org/introtrt.htm
www.volkskrant.nl/binnenland/article1048373.ece/Hiv-patient_leeft_met_remmers_veel_langer