HIV patients must take antiretrovirals but there's a downside to these drugs

Patients on antiretroviral therapy have to be on medications for the rest of their lives. — Photos: AFP

Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) and Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome (AIDS) are often mistakenly considered interchangeable terms, but they signify distinct aspects of a serious health condition.

HIV is a virus that targets and weakens the immune system, reducing the body’s ability to fight off infections.