HIV medications can help lower your viral load, fight infections, and improve your quality of life. They can lower your chances of transmitting HIV, but if you take them incorrectly, you can still give HIV to others. They're not a cure for HIV.

The goals for these medicines are to:

• Control the growth of the virus
• Improve how well your immune system works
• Slow or stop symptoms
• Prevent transmission of HIV to others

The FDA has approved more than two dozen antiretroviral drugs to treat HIV infection. They're often broken into six groups because they work in different ways. Doctors recommend taking a combination or "cocktail" of at least two of them. This is called antiretroviral therapy, or ART.

Your doctor will let you know specifically how you should take your medications. You need to follow the directions exactly, and you shouldn't miss even one dose. If you miss doses, you could develop drug-resistant strains of HIV, and your medication may stop working.

Some other medicines and supplements don't mix well with HIV drugs, so make sure you tell your doctor about everything you're taking.

The Journal of Antivirals & Antiretrovirals (JAA) paves the way to discovery and development of antiviral drugs, compounds, and clinical methods to prevent viral infections. Importantly, JAA provides the opportunity to inform researchers, clinicians, and others working in the field of antiviral drugs and therapies.

Submit manuscript at www.longdom.org/submissions/antivirals-antiretrovirals.html or send as an e-mail attachment to the Editorial Office at antivirals@eclinicalsci.com

Regards
Robert Har