To answer your question as an infectious disease physician who specializes in the treatment and management of HIV, people with HIV are currently required to take medication for the rest of their lives!

Why is it necessary to take medication for life? The reasons are as follows:

Principles of HIV Replication

HIV belongs to the retroviruses, which are small particles of spherical structure, inside the particles are the genes of the virus, and on the surface there are two layers of lipid envelope with two surface proteins, gp120 and gp41, which play a key role in the infection of the virus. These two surface proteins mediate the entry of the virus into human cells during viral infection of the target cell, followed by transcription of the viral RNA into DNA in the cytoplasm by reverse transcriptase enzymes, which accomplishes the transfer of the genetic material to the cell. Each infected cell can release up to 10,000 viral particles, killing the target cell in the process of viral release. After understanding the survival cycle of the virus, researchers have found that the protease and reverse transcriptase enzymes, which inhibit viral replication in the human body, are two key components of antiviral therapy. In the early stages of infection, HIV levels in the patient's blood rise steeply, often manifesting itself in flu-like symptoms during the first three or four weeks. As the symptoms subside, the level of virus in the body decreases and remains in a relatively equilibrium state. The level of equilibrium determines how early or late the disease develops in the future. Why the virus can remain in equilibrium in the body for several years or even more than 10 years is the principle of HIV replication.

Principles of HIV antiretroviral therapy

Despite the short half-life of HIV in the body, each patient produces up to 10,000 or even hundreds of millions of viruses every day. A large number of viruses are produced again while being cleared, and new viruses will produce many mutant strains that can evade drug treatment in the process of replication. This made the famous Prof. He Dayi think that single drug treatment can quickly produce drug resistance, and should be aimed at different aspects of HIV infection of the human body, with three or more than three drugs, such as anti-viral protease drugs, anti-viral reverse transcription drugs, etc., i.e., to improve the effectiveness of the treatment through the use of a combination of drugs, which has led to the achievement of the famous "cocktail therapy This has led to the famous "cocktail therapy".

Cocktail therapy has saved countless patients by restoring their immune system and suppressing HIV through the use of medication, but cocktail therapy is not perfect and has its drawbacks. When the use of anti-HIV medication is terminated, the virus replicates again in large quantities, the virus in the viral reservoir is reactivated, and the body's immune system is again damaged or resistant to the medication.

Therefore, under the current medical conditions, AIDS must be taken for life, but I believe that a functional cure or cure will be realized in the near future, it is only a matter of time!

You can follow and private message Dr. Li Ping about HIV-related issues, and I will accompany you on the road to health!

People with HIV definitely need to take medication all the time!

AIDS is an acquired immunodeficiency disorder, mainly caused by HIV attacks on human immune cells resulting in reduced immunity, thus causing the process of opportunistic infections; AIDS, according to UNAIDS estimates, the world's cumulative number of diagnosed 37.9 million people, and the number of new infections each year is about 1.7 million people, so AIDS is still a major public health problem.

And the status of AIDS in China, according to the latest estimates in 2018, China's AIDS living people is about 1.25 million people, the number of deaths is 30,000 to 40,000, the whole population infection rate is about 0.9/10000 people. For such a large number of HIV-infected people, the number of people who can receive continuous antiretroviral treatment is only 76.7%, which is far below the three 90% targets removed by UNAIDS. Therefore, in our country's future to ensure that people living with HIV can effectively receive antiretroviral treatment, in 2016 it was proposed, for all people found to be infected with HIV, i.e., free HIV antiretroviral drug treatment; i.e., the detection-is-treatment strategy, which is aimed at providing antiretroviral treatment rates and reducing the risk of HIV transmission.

Pathogenesis of AIDS

AIDS is caused by the HIV virus, which is transmitted through the bloodstream, sexually and from mother to child, invading the human body and attacking the normal immune cells; if no antiretroviral treatment is given, the virus will replicate indefinitely in the body, causing the immune system to be paralyzed. The essence of taking antiretroviral drugs for AIDS patients is to inhibit the replication of the HIV virus, thus suppressing the HIV load in the body, and thus effectively improving the quality of life of the patients. Therefore, AIDS patients in principle need to take medication on time!!!!

Medication adjustments are necessary when

1. Drug resistance: With some patients taking drugs for a long time, drug resistance may appear, often in this case, will be replaced with another antiviral drugs to adjust the medication, because at present, AIDS is mostly used cocktail therapy, through the collocation of different drugs, to be able to adjust the problem of drug resistance;

2. Too many side effects: antiviral treatment is a process that accompanies a lifetime, some patients in the process of taking medication, there may be neurological, gastrointestinal system symptoms, this time often leads to poorer treatment for patients, for this part of the patient, it is necessary to re-adjust the medication, may be a first-line drugs will be adjusted to the second line of drugs; or the use of imported foreign drugs for treatment.

Rambling Review:

For AIDS patients, but diagnosed with HIV infection, the main process of taking antiviral drugs is to inhibit the process of viral replication in the body, this process can actually be regarded as a "one against the other" process, once one day do not take medication, then the virus may be replicated to enhance the body's immune system continues to decline, the body occurs! The chances of opportunistic infections are greater!

Therefore, AIDS patients should always take their antiretroviral medications on time, at regular intervals, and consistently; and if any problems arise, please be sure to visit a specialized medical facility for professional guidance on taking your medications as well!

People with HIV need to take medication every day. AIDS is an infectious disease caused by HIV infection, the most effective treatment is a combination of antiviral, commonly used drugs such as zidovudine, lamivudine, efavirenz, etc. These drugs must be taken every day in order to ensure that the concentration of the drug in the body, which can effectively inhibit HIV replication and growth in the body of patients with AIDS. If AIDS patients do not take the drugs regularly, it may cause the virus to be insensitive or less sensitive to the drugs, i.e. the problem of drug resistance.

Yes, you must take the medication for a long period of time and follow your doctor's instructions, so I wish you a speedy recovery and wait for the new medication