Drug-resistance tests are proving to be useful and are now being used by most, if not all, doctors in terms of helping their patients switch to effective regimens.
The use of drug-resistance testing is supported by two major medical organizations in the United States that oversee HIV healthcare policy: the United States Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) and the International AIDS Society-USA (IAS-USA). According to official guidelines published by both organizations, drug-resistance testing should be used in the following circumstances:
- If HIV is diagnosed during the first few days/weeks of infection (this can help determine if the person was infected with a drug-resistant form of HIV);
- When viral load rebounds while on anti-HIV combination therapy; or
- When viral load fails to go below 400 within six months of starting a new anti-HIV drug combination.
To learn more about HIV drug resistance and drug-resistance testing, check out this lesson:
Understanding Drug Resistance and Drug-Resistance Testing
Most insurance companies, Medicaid programs, and state-run AIDS Drug Assistance Programs (ADAP) cover the costs of these tests.
If you're seeing your viral load increase while on therapy, talk with your doctor about having an HIV drug-resistance test.
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