Many people can now continue to work and can continue to lead productive lives, despite their illness. There have been cases where a person was too sick to work, and with the latest treatments, they clinically improved to the point where they were able to return to work. In addition, these drugs are extremely expensive, and many people cannot afford them. These drugs have to be taken exactly as prescribed. The dosing schedules can sometimes be very complicated and confusing for people to follow.
Many people find it difficult to keep up with the rigorous dosing requirements.
If these drugs are not taken exactly as prescribed, HIV can develop resistance to these drugs. When HIV becomes resistant to these drugs, the drugs may no longer work, and a person would have to change to different medications. There are now strains of HIV that are resistant to multiple antiviral drugs. Many of these drugs cause side effects that can be difficult for some people to deal with. Some people stop taking their medications due to the severity of the side effects.