Drug Treatments for HIV/AIDS

Prevalence of HIV is attributed to increased complacency due to more advanced drug

treatment options for HIV/AIDS. To note, the disease is transformed into a chronic medical
condition so that the diagnosed person can live normal-life expectancy (Scourfield, Waters, &
Nelson, 2011, p. 1001). Because of this, the number of people living with HIV has increased,
however, there is a reduction as to the mortality of HIV thereby resulting to prevalence
(Scourfield et al., 2011, p. 1001).
Corollary, neurocognitive impairment is also linked to the decline of the HIV patients'
medication adherence (Thaler, Sayegh, Arentoft, Thames, Castellon & Hinkin, 2015, p. 919). As
such, it is important for HIV patients to be committed in their treatment, and they must adhere to
medication over time (Krummenacher, Cavassini, Bugnon & Schneider, 2011, p. 550). The
following are HIV/AIDS medications:
1. Nucleos (t)ide reverse transcriptase inhibitors (NRTIs)
This medication is considered as the "mainstay of treatment favored by published
guidelines (Scourfield et al., 2011, p. 1002).
2. Non-nucleoside reserve transcriptase inhibitors (NNRTIs)
NNRTIs are desiged to block HIV reserve transcriptase.
3. Protease inhibitors (PIs)
Protease inhibitors are considered as an "option to NNRTI when given in
combination with an NRti backbone (Scourfield et al., 2011, p. 1004).
4. Fusion inhibitors
Fusion inhibitors are used to prevent the entry of HIV to the CD4 cell.
5. Integrase strand transfer inhibitors
This inhibitors prevent the HIV to replicate.

Healthcare workers should be able to effectively provide counseling and sensitizing

information through to use of media in order to change people's perception about HIV.
Ultimately, they have to understand that HIV is only transmitted when the blood, semen, pre-
seminal fluids, rectal fluids, vaginal fluids and breast milk of a person with HIV comes in
contract with a mucous membrane or tissue, or injected into the bloodstream of another person
(AIDS Info, 2017). Aside from that, these workers must disseminate information as to how
infections are avoided and controlled so that they become more aware about HIV. To educate
HIV positive patients on medication adherence, there is a need to use multidisciplinary approach
by competent healthcare workers.

References

AIDS Info. (2017). The basics of HIV prevention. Retrieved from

https://aidsinfo.nih.gov/understanding-hiv-aids/fact-sheets/20/48/the-basics-of-hiv-
prevention
Krummenacher, I., Cavassini, M., Bugnon, O. & Schneider, M. (2011). An interdisciplinary
HIV-adherence program combining motivational interviewing and electronic
antiretroviral drug monitoring. AIDS Care, 23(5), 550-561.
Mayer, K. H. & Krakower, D. (2012). Antiretroviral medication and HIV prevention: New steps
forward and new questions. Annals of Internal Medicine, 156, 312-314.
Scourfield, A., Waters, L. & Nelson, M. (2011). Drug combinations for HIV: What's new?
Expert Rev. Anti Infect. Ther., 9(11), 1001-1011.
Thaler, N. S., Sayegh, P., Arentoft, A., Thames, A. D., Castellon, S. A., & Hinkin, C. H. (2015).
Increased neurocognitive intra-individual variability is associated with declines in
medication adherence in HIV-infected adults. Neuropsychology, 29(6), 919-925.
doi:http://dx.doi.org/10.1037/neu0000191