Glossary

hepatitis – an infection that causes liver inflammation, usually a virus.

antioxidant – a substance that reduces oxidative damage (damage due to oxygen) such as that caused by ‘free radicals’

randomise – in research, this is a way of decide at random which participants join each group. So neither you or your doctor chose which group you join in a research study. A common example is that the decision would be made similar to tossing a coin.

More information from the i-Base guide to HIV research.

confirmatory test – a second test to double-check the results of a previous one. For example, if your viral load is usually undetectable and then becomes detectable, you need a second confirmatory test. This is to check that the detectable result was not a laboratory error on just a temporary blip.

salvage therapy – a term for the combination therapy used after someone has developed resistance to three or more classes of HIV drugs. Also called ‘third-line’ or ‘rescue therapy’ or ‘treatment of patients with multidrug resistance’.