There are six classes of drugs to fight HIV you will be prescribed 2-3 drugs from 2 or 3 classes.

This a list of the most commonly prescribed ARV medications worldwide.  You will most likely be prescribed 3 medications together.  The three medications ensure that the HIV virus van no longer reproduce by targeting three different segments of its life cycle.  Think of it as three lines of defense, the first line kills the majority of the virus, the second takes care of any stragglers that may have gotten through, and the third line scans just to be sure that no virus got through the first two defenses.  Some of the newest medications are quad pills-with the three medications and a fourth; cobicistat that helps the other drugs to stay in your system longer.

Anti retroviral therapy known as ART or HAART is not what you may think it is.  Most of the medications are well tolerated by the majority of people and work extremely well. They are slightly different in regards to the timing, food requirements and drug interactions so you and your doctor will choose the combination that is right for you.

Now your three medications might all be packaged together in a single pill; two medications in one pill and another single pill; or three separate pills.  You will have to take medication either once a day at the same time every day or twice a day at 12 hour intervals at the same time.  What is the difference?  All of these medications work extremely well but taking one pill once a day is obviously more attractive and usually comes with a higher price tag for the convenience.  Your lifestyle and test results will guide your doctor to recommending the right combination of medications for you.  The alphabet soup of medicines seems very complex but soon you will have a very clear picture of what is right for you.

You will be taking these medications for a very long time so choosing the right combination is very important.  After spending 30 days on ARVs you will need to go have another set of tests; viral load, CBC blood count, and CD4 count, and liver/kidney function tests.  This round of testing will assure you that the drugs are working and the HIV is being reduced and your body is functioning normally.