Medications may slow the effects of HIV on the body, but there is no cure for HIV infection or AIDS. Antiretroviral drugs are medications for the treatment of infection by retroviruses, primarily HIV. There are different classes of antiretroviral drugs, each acting at different stage of the HIV life cycle.

When several antiretroviral drugs, typically three or four, are taken in combination, the approach is known as highly active antiretroviral therapy, or HAART.

Treatment for AIDS may include:

• Highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART):
• Non-nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitors (NNRTI)
• Nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitors (NRTI)
• Protease inhibitors
• Fusion inhibitors
• Integrase inhibitors
• Antibiotics:
• To treat secondary bacterial infections
• Antifungal medications:
• To treat secondary fungal infections (e.g. candidal esophagitis)
• Other antiviral medications:
• To treat secondary infections by other viruses (e.g. herpes simplex)
• Medication for nausea
• Diet to keep body weight normal and avoid body wasting
• AIDS clinical trials

For more information:

• Kaposi's sarcoma treatment
• Pneumocystis pneumonia treatment
• Thrush treatment
• Cytomegalovirus retinitis treatment
• Candidal esophagitis treatment