There are currently more than 30 drugs approved to fight HIV (PDF - 5.3 MB). However, these drugs:
- Do not cure HIV or AIDS
- Do not stop the virus from spreading from person to person, although they do make this less likely
Hence prevention is the best treatment.
HIV drugs keep the virus from multiplying in the body. This helps to keep people with an HIV infection from developing AIDS and helps them live longer, healthier lives. However, it is still possible to transmit the virus to others, and people must continuously take the antiretroviral drugs to stay healthy.
People with AIDS or advanced HIV often get other illnesses due to their weakened immune systems. There are treatments available for many of these other illnesses.
The National Institute of Allergy and Infectious
Diseases has more information about HIV treatments.