HIV Medications (Antiretrovirals): The Basics

There are more than 30 HIV medications and drug-combination pills approved for use in the U.S., each of which has its own set of dosing requirements, potential side effects and other quirks to learn. No single HIV medication (also called "antiretroviral") is powerful enough to fight HIV by itself, but when taken in combination with other HIV meds, they have an excellent chance of effectively shutting down HIV's ability to replicate in your body.

Learn more about HIV medications by reading the resources below, or select a specific antiretroviral to learn more about it:

Overviews on HIV Medications

Approved HIV Medications by Class (Regularly Updated)
From TheBody.com
Overview of Antiretroviral Drugs (Regularly Updated)
From HIV InSite
HIV Drug Chart/Overview (May 2012)
From The Well Project
Antiretroviral Pill Chart (PDF) (April 2012)
In An Introduction to Combination Therapy, from HIV i-Base
U.S. Antiretroviral Therapy Guidelines (March 29, 2012)
To read PDF, click here.
From AIDS InfoNet
The 16th Annual HIV Drug Guide (March/April 2012)
To read PDF, click here.
In Positively Aware, from Test Positive Aware Network
How to Read a Package Insert (March 2012)
From The Well Project
2012 HIV Drug Chart (PDF) (February 1, 2012)
In Positively Aware, from Test Positive Aware Network
FDA-Approved Anti-HIV Medications (November 2011)
Part of HIV and Its Treatment.
To read PDF, click here.
From AIDSinfo
HIV and Its Treatment (November 2011)
A guide to HIV care and treatment for someone just diagnosed.
To read PDF, click here.
From AIDSinfo
Using Antiretrovirals for Chronic Fatigue Syndrome Has Sparked Controversy (September 23, 2011)
From TheBody.com
Taking Current Antiretroviral Drugs (September 14, 2011)
To read PDF, click here.
From AIDS InfoNet
"Drugs That Fight HIV" Poster Features Images of Antiretroviral Medications (August 26, 2011)
From AIDSinfo
Is Your HIV Treatment Working? Warning Signs and False Alarms (August 17, 2011)
We'll help you tell the difference between a warning sign that your regimen might not be right for you and a normal signal that your body is still adjusting to medications.
From TheBody.com
Drugs That Fight HIV (PDF) (July 2011)
From U.S. National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases
Drug Names and Manufacturers (May 21, 2011)
To read PDF, click here.
From AIDS InfoNet
What Is Antiretroviral Therapy (ART)? (May 21, 2011)
To read PDF, click here.
From AIDS InfoNet
Trough Concentrations of Antiretroviral Drugs for Patients Who Have Drug-Susceptible Virus and for Treatment-Experienced Patients With Virologic Failure (PDF) (January 10, 2011)
An excerpt from the official U.S. HIV treatment guidelines for adults and adolescents. For the full guidelines, click here (PDF).
From AIDSinfo
HIV Medications: When to Start and What to Take (December 2010)
The Body's easy-to-read online guide to HIV treatment.
To read PDF, click here.
In HIV Medications: When to Start and What to Take -- A Roadmap to Success, from TheBody.com
HAART Chart -- Approved Antiretroviral Drugs (PDF) (Summer/Fall 2010)
[Archived Article]
In Bulletin of Experimental Treatments for AIDS, from San Francisco AIDS Foundation
HAART Chart -- Approved Antiretroviral Drugs (Winter/Spring 2010)
To read PDF, click here.
In Bulletin of Experimental Treatments for AIDS, from San Francisco AIDS Foundation
HIV Treatment 101 (November 24, 2009)
From TheBody.com
Antiretroviral Formulations (July 2009)
To read PDF, click here.
From AIDSinfo
Cincinnati Enquirer Looks at Effects of Antiretrovirals on the Lives of People With HIV, Larger Epidemic (June 8, 2009)
In Kaiser Daily HIV/AIDS Report, from Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation
An HIV Medication Primer (Summer 2008)
In Achieve, from ACRIA and GMHC
Update From CROI 2008 on Approved HIV Drugs (April 2008)
To read PDF, click here.
In Project Inform Perspective, from Project Inform
Strategies for HIV Therapy (April 2008)
To read PDF, click here.
From Project Inform
HAART Chart -- Approved Antiretroviral Drugs (Winter 2008)
To read PDF, click here.
In Bulletin of Experimental Treatments for AIDS, from San Francisco AIDS Foundation
Drugs Used in the Treatment of HIV Infection (January 2008)
From U.S. Food and Drug Administration
2007 Antiretroviral Drug Guide (August 2007)
In IAPAC Monthly, from International Association of Physicians in AIDS Care
Generic Drugs Used in the Treatment of HIV Infection (May 2007)
From U.S. Food and Drug Administration
Pipeline Update: Short Notes on New Anti-HIV Drugs in Development (October 2006)
To read PDF, click here.
In Project Inform Perspective, from Project Inform
Chart of Approved Antiretroviral Drugs (Winter 2005/2006)
[Archived Article]
Lists each drug's generic name, brand name, distribution company and year approved in the U.S.
To read PDF, click here.
In Bulletin of Experimental Treatments for AIDS, from San Francisco AIDS Foundation
Standard Dosing Chart for Anti-HIV Drugs (January 2006)
Includes number of pills, dosing frequency, food restrictions, potential drug interactions and side effects.
To read PDF, click here.
From Project Inform
The ABCs of Pharmacokinetics (Winter 2005)
[Archived Article]
Pharmacist Peter L. Anderson explains how, and why, doctors study the effect of HIV meds on your body.
To read PDF, click here.
In Positively Aware, from Test Positive Aware Network
"Therapeutic Range": Keeping Your Antiretroviral Levels Just Right (Winter 2005)
[Archived Article]
Patrick G. Clay explains the importance of not having too little -- or too much -- of an HIV med in your system, in this intro to a special supplement on how drugs work.
To read PDF, click here.
In Positively Aware, from Test Positive Aware Network
Stopping Medications in an Emergency: A Guide for HIV-Positive People (October 2005)
[Archived Article]
To read PDF, click here.
From The Center for AIDS
How Your Body Processes the Drugs You Take: A Pharmacokinetics Primer (Fall 2005)
[Archived Article]
To read PDF, click here.
In Positively Aware, from Test Positive Aware Network
Anti-HIV Drug Identification Chart: United States (January 2005)
[Archived Article]
A quick listing of U.S.-approved antiretrovirals, including generic names, brand names, abbreviations and pharmaceutical companies.
From Project Inform
How HIV Drugs Work (November/December 2004)
[Archived Article]
A brief summary of each drug class, with notes on the importance of taking all your meds on time.
To read PDF, click here.
In Positively Aware, from Test Positive Aware Network
HIV Drugs Approved as of August 2003 (July 25, 2003)
[Archived Article]
In AIDS Treatment News, from AIDS Treatment News
Medicine Chest: Drugs and Food (July/August 2002)
[Archived Article]
To read PDF, click here.
In Positively Aware, from Test Positive Aware Network
How HIV Drugs Work 101 (September/October 2001)
[Archived Article]
To read PDF, click here.
In Positively Aware, from Test Positive Aware Network
ABC of AIDS: Antiretroviral Drugs (June 9, 2001)
[Archived Article]
In British Medical Journal
Death by Rx: Where Good Meets Harm (January 2000)
[Archived Article]
In TAGline, from Treatment Action Group
New Anti-HIV Therapies Needed to Eradicate HIV (May 26, 1999)
[Archived Article]
From U.S. National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases
Antiretroviral Drugs Approved By FDA for HIV (September 21, 1998)
[Archived Article]
From U.S. Food and Drug Administration