Resistance has consequences

Medication resistance can reduce your ability to respond to current and future medications. When your medication stops working, your CD4+ cell counts will go down, your viral load will eventually go up, and your treatment may fail.

HIV medications are grouped into classes based on the way they fight HIV. Resistance to one medication could lead to resistance to other medications in the same class, which means some other medications you have never even taken before may also not work for you. This may make it more difficult for your healthcare provider to find a treatment option that will be effective for you.

Medication resistance developed to:

Not All Medications Are the Same

There are some HIV medications that have a high genetic barrier to resistance. This barrier allows a medication to bind itself to the virus and keeps working even if the virus has changed.

Ask your healthcare provider if a medication with a high genetic barrier to resistance is the right medication for you.