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Is there a cure
for HIV?
No. There is no drug that can completely cure HIV / AIDS. Disease
progression can be slowed but not stopped completely. The right combination of
various antiretroviral drugs can slow the damage caused by HIV on the immune
system and delay the onset of AIDS.
This type of care and treatment is available?
Treatment and care consist of a number of different elements, including
voluntary counseling and testing (VCT), support for the prevention of HIV
transmission, follow-up counseling, advice on food and nutrition, treatment of
STIs, and the management of nutritional effects, prevention and treatment
opportunistic infections (OIs), and the provision of antiretroviral drugs.
Is it anti-retroviral drugs?
Antiretroviral drugs used in the treatment of HIV infection. These drugs work
against HIV infection itself by slowing down the reproduction of HIV in the
body.
How do antiretroviral drugs work?
In an infected cell, HIV replicates itself, which can then infect other cells
in the body that are still healthy. The more cells HIV infects, the greater its
impact on the immune system (immunodeficiency). Antiretroviral drugs slow down
the replication of cells, which means slowing the spread of the virus in the
body, by interfering with the replication process in various ways.
Nucleoside Reverse Transcriptase Inhibitors (NRTIs)
HIV needs an enzyme called reverse transcriptase to replicate themselves. Type of drug is treating a way to prevent viral genetic material.
Non-Nucleoside Reverse Transcriptase (NNRTIs)
This type of these drugs also interferes with HIV replication by binding to the
enzyme reverse transcriptase itself. This prevents the enzyme from working and
stops the production of new virus particles in infected cells.
Protease inhibitors (PI)
Protease is a digestive enzyme that is needed in HIV replication to form new
virus particles. It breaks down proteins and enzymes in the infected cells,
which can then infect other cells. The protease inhibitors prevent the
breakdown of proteins and therefore slow down the production of new virus
particles.
Other drugs that can inhibit viral cycle in the other phases (such as viral
entry and fusion with an uninfected cell) are currently being tested in
clinical trials.
Whether effective antiretroviral drugs?
The use of antiretroviral drugs in combinations of three or more drugs has been
shown to decrease the number of deaths and illnesses associated with AIDS
dramatically. While not a cure, combination ARV therapy has enabled
HIV-positive, making them healthier, more productive lives by reducing amount
of HIV in the blood and increase the number of cells CD4 + (cells-white blood
cells that are important for the immune system).
Antiretroviral treatments to be effective for a long time, type of
antiretroviral drugs are different need to be combined. This is called
combination therapy. The term 'Highly Active Anti-Retroviral Therapy' (HAART)
is used to refer to a combination of three or more anti-HIV drugs.
If one drug is used alone, it is known that in some time, changes in the virus
could develop resistance to the drug. The drug is then no longer effective and
the virus starts to reproduce to the same extent as before. When two or more
medicines are taken together, the level of development of resistance can be
reduced substantially. Usually, the combination consists of two drugs that
inhibit the enzyme reverse transcriptase and one protease inhibitor.
Anti-retroviral drugs should only be taken under medical supervision.
Why drugs are not readily available?
In developing countries, only about 5% of those in need are receiving
antiretroviral treatment, whereas in high-income countries of the almost
universal access. The problem is the price of drugs is high, infrastructure
inadequate health care, and lack of financing has prevented the use of
combination ARV treatment in low-income countries and middle.
A total of 12 ARV medicines have been included in the List of Essential Drugs
World Health Organization (WHO Essential Medicines List). Inclusion of ARVs in
the List of Essential Medicines WHO will encourage governments in countries
with high epidemic to further expand the distribution of essential drugs to
those who need it. Meanwhile, the increasing political and economic commitment
in recent years, stimulated by people living with HIV / AIDS (PLWHA), civil
society and other partners, has opened the scope for expanding access to HIV
therapy in an extraordinary way.
What kind of care available when ARVs are not accessible?
The elements of care can help maintain the high quality of life when ARVs are
not available. These elements include adequate nutrition, counseling,
prevention and treatment of opportunistic infections, and maintain health in
general.
What is PEP?
Prevention of Post-exposure treatment consists of medication, laboratory tests
and counseling. PEP treatment must be initiated within hours of possible HIV
exposure and should continue for about four weeks. PEP treatment has not been
proven to prevent HIV transmission. Nevertheless, research studies show that
when treatment is initiated quickly after possible HIV exposure (ideally within
two hours and not more than 72 hours after exposure), it may be beneficial in
preventing HIV infection.