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Australian Prescriber Vol. 21 No. 2 1998
The treatment of HIV infection
AIDS (acquired immunodeficiency syndrome) is caused by HIV (human immunodeficiency virus). This virus often changes its genes. These changes mean that medicines to treat the virus often lose their effectiveness; the virus becomes resistant.
Research suggests the best way to treat the infection is to use several medicines at the same time. This controls the increase in the number of viruses and slows down how quickly they become resistant. The more viruses produced, the sooner the patient will develop AIDS.
To get the best results from using medicines to treat HIV, it is very important to take them as directed. This often means taking several tablets every day. Unfortunately, there is still no cure for AIDS, so prevention remains very important.
