Adherence and Drug Resistance
Photo of a weekly drug organizer.
Credit: NIAID
People infected with HIV who take antiretroviral treatments sometimes find it difficult to adhere to their drug regimens. This can be caused by the complexity of having to take several drugs each day or the unpleasant side effects that may result from some medicines, such as nausea and vomiting. However, when patients fail to take their medicines, HIV has an opportunity to create more variations of itself, including strains that are resistant to antiretroviral drugs. Therefore, it is important for people to continue taking their medicines as prescribed by their healthcare providers.