Maternal-infant transmission of HIV may be reduced if zidovudine is given to the mother before and during delivery and to the infant for 6 weeks after delivery. The development of effective treatments for AIDS has been relatively slow in contrast to the rapid increase in knowledge about its pathophysiology over the last 10 years. Combination therapy is more effective than use of a single drug. The strict safety criteria established by the FDA for new drugs have been the subject of controversy. AIDS activist groups and others have argued that experimental drugs should be made available to volunteers more quickly.
Evidence supporting the benefits of nonpharmacological therapies remains inconclusive.
No drug has been discovered that prevents or cures HIV infection. Life expectancy remains about 10 to 15 years after initial infection. Universal precautions for blood and other body fluids are strictly observed. The nurse teaches the patient about transmission of infectious agents through infected blood or other body fluids and reviews measures to prevent transmission. Prescribed drug therapy is administered, and the patient is taught to identify and report adverse effects.