If you do decide to start treatment, or are considering switching to other treatments, then the process will be easier if you learn all you can about the medicines you're going to take. Different medicines have different requirements: some medicines, for example, must be taken on an empty stomach, while others need to be taken with food. Each medicine has different side effects. And since anti-HIV therapy involves taking several medicines together, you'll need to consider possible drug interactions. Therefore, it's important to read about the medicines you're thinking of taking and to compare them.

This web site offers a page on each and every drug for HIV, including those still in clinical trials. We also have a chart comparing all the approved drugs side by side, along with an interactive program for checking drug/drug & drug/food interactions. Just click on the following links:

Browse Our List of AIDS Drugs Currently Approved Drugs for HIV: A Comparative Chart Check My Meds (our drug interactions checker)

Finally, one of the best ways to learn about your treatment options is talking to other people living with HIV. That's why we set up Community Forums on our site. If you have questions that aren't answered in the information sections listed above, please post a question in one of the forums. The odds are you'll find other people with helpful responses. To post a question, or to read other people's questions and responses in our Community Forums, click here.

When it comes to AIDS treatment, information is power. The more you know, the better you can manage your health over the long term. As you learn this stuff, there will probably be times when you feel overwhelmed—I know sometimes I do. When that happens, sit down and take a deep breath. Relax. And remember, you're not alone.

Peter R. Staley
Founder