Drug-resistance testing identifies which, if any,
HIV medicines won’t be effective against a person’s HIV. Drug-resistance testing is done using a sample of blood. People with
HIV should start taking
HIV medicines as soon as possible after their
HIV is diagnosed. But before a person starts taking
HIV medicines, drug resistance testing is done. Drug resistance test results help determine which
HIV medicines to include in a person’s first
HIV regimen. Once
HIV treatment is started, a viral load test is used to monitor whether the
HIV medicines are controlling a person’s HIV. If viral load testing indicates that a person’s
HIV regimen isn’t effective, drug-resistance testing is repeated. The test results can identify whether drug resistance is the problem and if so, can be used to select a new regimen.
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