These guidelines provide guidance on the diagnosis of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection, the use of antiretroviral (ARV) drugs for treating and preventing HIV infection and the care of people living with HIV. They are structured along the continuum of HIV testing, prevention, treatment and care. This edition updates the 2013 consolidated guidelines on the use of antiretroviral drugs following an extensive review of evidence and consultations in mid-2015, shared at the end of 2015, and now published in full in 2016. It is being published in a changing global context for HIV and for health more broadly.

NPIN 21131: This report contains revised guidelines for the use of antiretroviral drugs in HIV-positive adults and adolescents that were developed by the Panel on Clinical Practices for the Treatment of HIV infection for the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. These guidelines are based on feedback received during the 30-day comment period and further discussion among the panel members. The guidelines are intended for use by physicians and other health care providers and serves as a companion document to the therapeutic principles formulated by the National Institutes of Health Panel to Define Principles of Therapy of HIV infection. The report addresses the use of testing for plasma HIV RNA levels and CD4 T-cell counts, considerations for when to initiate therapy in established HIV infection, special considerations for therapy in patients with advanced stage disease, interruption of therapy, considerations for changing therapy and available therapeutic options, the treatment of acute HIV infection, considerations for antiretroviral therapy in adolescents, and considerations for antiretroviral therapy in pregnant women. The report is available in both English and Spanish.

These revised guidelines were developed by the Panel on Clinical Practices for Treatment of HIV Infection. Contains recommend. for the clinical use of antiretroviral agents in the treatment of HIV-infected adults & adolescents (defined here as late puberty). Guidance for the use of antiretroviral treatment in pediatric HIV infection is not contained in this document, as there are unique therapeutic & mgmt. considerations in HIV-infected children. These guidelines are intended for use by physicians & other health care providers in the use of antiretroviral therapy in HIV-infected adults & adolescents & serves as the companion document to the therapeutic principles formulated by the NIH Panel to Define Principles of Therapy of HIV Infection.

This report was developed by the Panel on ClinicalPractices for Treatment of HIV (the Panel), which wasconvened by the Department of Health and HumanServices (DHHS) and the Henry J. Kaiser FamilyFoundation in 1996. The goal of theserecommendations is to provide evidence-basedguidance for clinicians and other health-care providerswho use antiretroviral agents in treating adults andadolescents infected with human immunodeficiencyvirus (HIV), including pregnant women. Although thepathogenesis of HIV infection and the generalvirologic and immunologic principles underlying theuse of antiretroviral therapy are similar for all HIVinfectedpersons, unique therapeutic and managementconsiderations exist for HIV-infected children.Therefore, guidance for antiretroviral therapy forpediatric HIV infection is not contained in this report.