HIV Disease and AIDS
You and Your Anti-HIV Therapy
Only You Can Work Against Drug Resistance
When a drug that once worked well against the HIV in your body starts to become less effective, the term used is drug resistance. That's one of the reasons your doctor has prescribed a variety of drugs to help fight the disease. This combination of therapies attacks the virus on several fronts at once, thus delaying or preventing possible resistance.
Meanwhile, the virus is constantly on the lookout for any weaknesses in the line of attack. Reducing or skipping doses and 'drug holidays' can provide the opening HIV needs to defeat the medication.
Questions & Answers
"So how can I avoid drug resistance and make sure my medications continue to fight HIV effectively?"
Again, by always taking all your medications as prescribed, you help stop the virus from making copies of itself. That means fewer mutations are produced, so resistance is less likely. And that may help keep your medication working stronger and longer.
"It's not easy! How can I possibly take any medication on time, every day?"
Commitment is everything! When you're HIV-positive and make a decision to begin using anti-HIV drugs, you commit yourself to take your medication just as your doctor prescribed. It may not be easy. Obstacles may get in the way. But the effort is more than worth it. Sometimes it just takes a little planning. Ask your doctor or pharmacist for some tools to help you stay on a healthy track.
