ABSTRACT
Introduction The continuing damage to the immune system caused by HIV infection (reviewed in the previous chapter) will eventually result in dire clinical outcomes for most HIV-infected individuals. In many parts of the industrially developed world, the introduction of highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART) towards the end of the last decade, and the earlier introduction of specific prophylaxis for commonly occurring opportunistic infections, have modified the pattern of clinical outcomes in those people able to access these therapies. This has had a dramatic and positive impact on the health and quality of life of people living with HIV infection. However, these interventions are not available to everyone; some patients cannot tolerate or adhere adequately to therapy, and many do not continue to respond beneficially to HAART over time.
