HAV – hepatitis A, a virus that causes liver disease.
Glossary
Selected words and phrases
free radical – a chemical produced after a molecular reaction, often containing oxygen, that has one ‘free’ unpaired electron on its outer surface. This makes it able to react and damage other cells, and perhaps increase progression of cardiovascular disease, cancers and aging. See antioxidant.
reinfection – catching HIV a second time. When an HIV-positive becomes infected with second strain or type of HIV. Sometimes called superinfection.
publication bias – the tendency for published results to be different to other trials. For example, trials that show a positive effect are more likely to be reported and published than trials that find no effect.
NRTI – Nucleoside Reverse Transcriptase Inhibitor, a type of HIV drug – also called ‘nuke’ or ‘nucleoside analogue’.
3TC (lamivudine). abacavir, AZT, FTC (emtricitabine), d4T (stavudine), ddI (didanosine) all belong to this class.
Tenofovir DF and tenofovir alafenamide (TAF) are a nucleotide analogues which is similar enough to be counted as part of this class.