How do I choose new drugs?

The choice of new drugs depends on:

• Your previous treatment history. This includes the meds you have already used and whether you developed resistance to them.
• Your current CD4 count and lowest ever CD4 count (called CD4 nadir).
• Your general health.

You will want to pick drugs that are most likely to work.

This will include looking at study results for the latest drugs.

It will include avoiding drugs with cross-resistance.

Cross-resistance is when resistance to a drug you have used means you are also resistant to similar drugs that you have not used.

Cross-resistance is common for all types of HIV drugs.

Cross-resistance is complicated. This is why your care needs to be managed by an expert in drug resistance.

Last updated: 1 August 2021.