Q and A

Question

Treatment breaks…

When can an HIV-positive person on ARV treatment have a treatment break? How long can a drug holiday last?

Answer

These two questions are both very important because of results from a large study in January, called the SMART study. This study was due to last for nine years, but was stopped after only two years, because of safety concerns in people taking a treatment interruption. An early analysis found that there was a higher risk from stopping and then restarting treatment based on your CD4 count, than was previously thought. These results were not expected and surprised everyone, including the researchers. The results also make it more difficult to recommend treatment interruptions.

Before the SMART Study, although you

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