The AIDS Beacon™

Currently, there is no vaccine or cure for HIV or AIDS. The best method of prevention is to avoid exposure to the virus.

Antiviral Treatment

Anti-HIV (antiretroviral) medications are used to slow down reproduction and hinder progression of the virus.

For individuals recently exposed to HIV, an antiretroviral treatment called post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP) is recommended. Prophylaxis means disease prevention, thus the main purpose of PEP is to prevent HIV infection after exposure. PEP treatment should begin as soon as possible after the exposure. PEP has a very strict schedule of four weeks of dosage. Some side effects of PEP include diarrhea, malaise, nausea, and fatigue.

Individuals diagnosed with HIV are typically treated with combinations of antiretroviral medications called Highly Active Antiretroviral Therapy (HAART). HAART is a combination or “cocktail” of three or more anti-HIV medications in a daily schedule. There are four different classes of anti-HIV medications that are approved by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA):

1. Reverse Transcriptase Inhibitors (RTIs): These drugs inhibit the ability of the virus to make a copy of itself.
   • Nucleoside Reverse Transcriptase Inhibitors (NRTIs): They act as fake versions of the building blocks HIV needs, thus stalling the ability of HIV to replicate. These medications include zidovudine (Retrovir), Viread (tenofovir), and stavudine (Zerit).
   • Nonnucleoside Reverse Transcriptase Inhibitors (NNRTIs): They bind to and block the action of reverse transcriptase, an essential protein that HIV needs in order to replicate. These medications include Viramune (nevirapine) and Sustiva (efavirenz).
2. Protease Inhibitors (PIs): They disable protease, another protein that HIV needs in order to replicate. These medications include Norvir (ritonavir) and Kaletra (lopinavir/ritonavir).
3. Fusion Inhibitors: They work by blocking HIV entry into cells. These medications include Fuzeon (enfuvirtide) and Selzentry (maraviroc).
4. Integrase Inhibitor: It stops HIV genes from becoming incorporated into the human cell’s DNA. It is commonly used for patients who have developed resistance to the other medications. The medication is called Isentress (raltegravir).

The main goals of HAART include improvement of the patient’s quality of life, reduction in complications, and reduction of the HIV virus below the level of detection. However, HAART cannot cure nor prevent the return of high blood levels of HIV. HAART is thought to increase survival time by four to twelve years.

A typical regimen consists of two NRTI’s and either a PI or NNRTI.  The recommended treatment for children is stricter and stronger than adults due to the rapid progression of the disease in children.

Some side effects of antiviral medication include decreased levels of red or white blood cells, inflammation of the pancreas, liver toxicity, rash, gastrointestinal problems, elevated cholesterol level, diabetes, abnormal body-fat distribution, and painful nerve damage.

Other Treatments

A number of studies have shown that measures to prevent opportunistic infections are beneficial when treating patients. Opportunistic infections are infections that take advantage of any weakness in the immune defenses. Vaccinations against hepatitis A and B are advised. Patients with severe symptoms are advised to receive preventative treatment for Pneumocystis pneumonia (PCP), toxoplasmosis, and Cryptococcal meningitis. Alternative medicines can be used to improve the quality of life of individuals with AIDS, but are not effective in curing the individuals.

Prognosis »