From the time that HIV/AIDS was identified (during the early 1980s) till date, there is no definite treatment that can completely cure a person of an HIV infection. The medicines usually prescribed by the doctors only offer symptomatic relief from the opportunistic infections associated with the disease.

All over the globe, medical research is in progress to develop that 'wonder drug' which can treat both HIV/AIDS and opportunistic infections at the same time. However, such a wonder drug has not been developed as yet. Therefore, doctors continue to prescribe medicines to treat the opportunistic infections and to extend the life of the patient by improving the quality of their life.

The drawback with these medicines is that not only are they unable to cure HIV/AIDS, but they are very expensive and beyond the reach of a common man. Additional drawback is that these medicines have many severe side effects. Prolonged use of these medicines makes a person resistant to it and the body no longer responds to the treatment involving the use of these medicines.

However, medical researchers have come up with an effective drug called anti-retroviral drugs, to check the uncontrolled multiplication of the virus in the host's body. If these anti-retroviral drugs (which are available in three classes) are used in proper combinations and under strict medical supervision, then they have the capacity to significantly reduce the viral load in the blood of an HIV positive person. This method of treatment is known as HAART (Highly Active Antiretroviral Therapy). Although this method has been successful in reducing the large number of HIV/AIDS related deaths across the globe, its drawback is that it is very expensive and can cause a lot of severe side effects. The worst part is that the anti-retroviral drugs used in the treatment cannot cure a person of HIV/AIDS.