Antiretroviral medication
Antiretroviral medication
Antiretroviral medication (pronunciation: an-tee-ret-ro-vi-ral) is a type of drug used to treat HIV and AIDS. The term "antiretroviral" comes from the type of virus (a retrovirus) that HIV is.
Etymology
The term "antiretroviral" is derived from the Latin prefix anti- meaning "against", and retrovirus, a type of virus that replicates using the host's DNA. Thus, antiretroviral drugs are those that combat retroviruses.
Function
Antiretroviral medications work by stopping the virus from replicating in the body. This allows the immune system to repair itself and prevent further damage. A combination of antiretroviral drugs, known as antiretroviral therapy (ART), is used to manage HIV.
Types of Antiretroviral Medications
There are several types of antiretroviral medications, including:
- Nucleoside Reverse Transcriptase Inhibitors (NRTIs)
- Non-Nucleoside Reverse Transcriptase Inhibitors (NNRTIs)
- Protease Inhibitors (PIs)
- Fusion Inhibitors
- CCR5 Antagonists (also known as Entry Inhibitors)
- Integrase Strand Transfer Inhibitors (INSTIs)
Each type of medication interrupts the virus at different stages in its lifecycle.
Side Effects
Like all medications, antiretroviral drugs can cause side effects. Common side effects include nausea, fatigue, diarrhea, and skin rashes. More serious side effects can include liver damage, heart disease, and severe skin reactions.
Related Terms
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