Glossary

median (average) – where the results are all arranged in numerical order and the middle of the range is taken as the (median) average. See mean.

What is an average.

opiate – a drug that comes from the opium poppy. Opiates include heroin, codeine and morphine.

natural history – the pattern a disease follows if it is not treated. The natural history of HIV includes very high viral load in the first weeks or months of infection (seroconversion), a drop in CD4 counts that then recovers, and then a slower progressive increase in viral load and decrease in CD4 count, that eventually lead to opportunistic infections.

Natural history graph and more details.

hepatic encephalopathy – brain disease that occurs when serious liver damage prevents toxic substances from being flitered out of the blood, and they enter the brain. See encephalopathy.

escape mutation – a mutation or change in the genetic structure of HIV that makes it easier to evade the persons immune system (rather than a mutation that stops an HIV drug from working).