Human Immnodeficiency Virus belongs to the Retrovirus family. A retrovirus is a virus that has a genome consisting of RNA. An enzyme that is part of the human immnodefeciency virus reads the sequence of viral RNA nucliec acids that have entered the host cell and transcribe the sequence into a complimentary DNA sequence. It relies on reverse transcriptase to perform reverse transcription of its genome from RNA to DNA for insertion by intergrase into host genome. The virus itself is just a storage form for its DNA; the reverse transcription takes place in the host’s cytosol. Inside our cell is a large fluid space called cytoplasm also known as cytosol.
Current treatment for HIV infected individuals consist of highly active antiretroviral therapy or HAART. It has been considered effective since its introduction. Other HAART cocktail consist of at least three drugs belonging to at least two types of antiretroviral agents.As HIV reproduces itself, variants of the virus emerge, including some that are resistant to antiretroviral drugs. This finding pusheddoctors to recommend the use of combined antiretroviral drugs also known as Highly Active Antiretroviral Therapy. This approach in containing the damage brought by the HIV virus to the HIV positive person has been proven to have effectively suppressed the virus when used properly.
These HAART strategies have proven to reduce th amount of active virus and in some cases lower the number of active virus until it is undetectable by current blood testing techniques.
Learn more, hiv aids treatments
It has revolutionized how people with HIV infections are treated. HAART works by suppressing the virus and decreasing the rate of opportunistic infections. The aim of HAART is to keep the amount of HIV at low level. HAART neither cures the patient nor uniformly remove all symptoms. Moreover, it would take a lifetime for an HIV infected person to be cleared using the therapy. Despite this,persons |a good number of HIV positive individuals] have experienced a remarkable improvements in their general well being which has led to a large reduction in HIV related death Taking HAARTmay cause unpleasant side effects such as nausea and vommitting. Moreover it could also result into a more serious medical problems including metabolic changes and bone loss. These complex reaction to the treatment varies as each individual is unique. Although there are clear benefits of HAART it also has its shortcoming and risks. HAART does not work for everybody who are HIV positive. HAART is not a cure, it only controls the virus in the body. However, for many people this approach has been a lifesaver. Thus,it is important to take into account both the benefits and and potential risks of any currently available regimens before starting a HIV (AIDS) therapy.