title: Lifelong antiretroviral therapy or HIV cure: The benefits for the individual patient.
abstract: There are an estimated 35 million people living with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) globally, 19 million of whom are unaware of their HIV status and, in the absence of antiretroviral therapy (ART), will have a shortened life expectancy. Although ART remains the "gold standard" for treatment of HIV infection, the requirement for lifelong treatment poses multiple challenges for the patient. These include stigma, an untenable pill burden, side effects, and the threat of viral resistance in the case of non-compliance. This review evaluates the challenges of accessing, delivering, and sustaining ART for people living with HIV and will discuss the case for pursuing a goal of HIV cure, the potential benefits of such a cure for the individual patient, and the current potential candidates for such a cure.
authors.affiliation: a Imperial College School of Medicine , Imperial College London , London SW7 2AZ , UK.
authors.forename: Kevin G
authors.initials: KG
authors.lastname: Buell
authors.affiliation: a Imperial College School of Medicine , Imperial College London , London SW7 2AZ , UK.
authors.forename: Christopher
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Chung
authors.affiliation: a Imperial College School of Medicine , Imperial College London , London SW7 2AZ , UK.
authors.forename: Zain
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Chaudhry
authors.affiliation: a Imperial College School of Medicine , Imperial College London , London SW7 2AZ , UK.
authors.forename: Aiysha
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Puri
authors.affiliation: a Imperial College School of Medicine , Imperial College London , London SW7 2AZ , UK.
authors.forename: Khizr
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Nawab
authors.affiliation: a Imperial College School of Medicine , Imperial College London , London SW7 2AZ , UK.
authors.forename: Rahul Prashanth
authors.initials: RP
authors.lastname: Ravindran
mesh_terms: D019380:Anti-HIV Agents; D023241:Antiretroviral Therapy, Highly Active; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000188:drug therapy*; D006801:Humans; D010349:Patient Compliance
chemical_list: D019380:Anti-HIV Agents
keywords: HIV; adherence; cure; pill burden; stigma