STEP 6: Choosing the Right HIV Treatment

HIV/AIDS Basics & Prevention

Just Diagnosed

HIV Treatment

Living With HIV

AIDS Policy & Activism

HIV Around the World

Conference Coverage

Body Health Resources Foundation

STEP 6: Choosing the Right HIV Treatment

Part of HIV and Me: An African American's Guide to Living With HIV

February 1, 2008

Doctors have not yet discovered a single combination of HIV medications that's best for everyone. Each combination has its advantages and disadvantages. The U.S. government issues regularly updated HIV treatment guidelines for health care professionals. As of January 2008, the guidelines made the following HIV treatment recommendations for people who are starting on their first HIV treatment combination:

Sustiva plus either Epzicom or Truvada
Atripla (this is a combination pill of Sustiva plus Truvada)
Reyataz and Norvir plus either Epzicom or Truvada
Twice-daily Kaletra plus either Epzicom or Truvada
Twice-daily Lexiva and Norvir plus either Epzicom or Truvada

Each of these treatment combinations include at least one drug from two different types, or "classes" of HIV medications. Each class of medication stops HIV from making copies of itself at a different moment in its reproductive cycle. The following are the five classes of HIV medications:

NRTIs (nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitors)
NNRTIs (non-nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitors)
PIs (protease inhibitors)
Fusion inhibitors
Integrase inhibitors

You and your provider will consider many issues before deciding on a treatment combination, including:

Your lifestyle
Which treatment regimen preserves your future treatment options
How powerful a combination it is
What side effects it can cause
Other illnesses you may have (such as hepatitis C), as this can affect which HIV medications are best for you.

David Lee "I needed a good three years to actively process the diagnosis. Actively processing a diagnosis means finding a good therapist, joining a support group, or talking with family and friends. People should do whatever is comfortable for them, but not talking about it is not an option! If you don't talk to anyone about it, you'll suffer for it."
David Lee, age 44, diagnosed in 1995, case manager

To read more about David, click here.

Previous | Next
Table of Contents

This article was provided by Body Health Resources Foundation. It is a part of the publication HIV and Me: An African American's Guide to Living With HIV.

The Body is a service of Body Health Resources Corporation, 250 West 57th Street, New York, NY 10107. The Body and its logos are trademarks of Body Health Resources Corporation, which owns the copyright of The Body's homepage, topic pages, page designs and HTML code. General Disclaimer: The Body is designed for educational purposes only and is not engaged in rendering medical advice or professional services. The information provided through The Body should not be used for diagnosing or treating a health problem or a disease. It is not a substitute for professional care. If you have or suspect you may have a health problem, consult your health care provider.