Antiretroviral Therapy

Abstract

Antiretroviral therapy (ART) for the treatment of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection has improved significantly since the first successful therapeutic trial using AZT (zidovudine) in 1986. It has greatly reduced overall morbidity and mortality in individuals with HIV, and has reduced perinatal and behavior-associated transmission. In most patients who have access to these medications, treatment initiated before the onset of advanced immunodeficiency reduces plasma HIV RNA concentrations (“viral load”) to undetectable levels and results in robust and sustained gains in CD4 T-cell counts. Antiretroviral therapy is currently potent, convenient, and typically well tolerated. It is important for mental health care providers to be aware of the various antiretroviral medications that can be used to treat HIV because some may interact with various psychotropic medications and others may produce neuropsychiatric effects that must be distinguished from the symptoms of the underlying mental disorder.