Guidelines for people starting HIV therapy for the first time
Aug 1, 2024

Regardless of CD4 count, the expert panel of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services recommends starting antiretroviral therapy (ART) as soon as possible after HIV is diagnosed. Most people starting HIV treatment for the first time (treatment-naïve) should take one of the following: Biktarvy, Dovato, Triumeq, or Tivicay plus Descovy or Truvada. Go to clinicalinfo.hiv.gov for more information.

RATING OF RECOMMENDATIONS

  1.   A: Strong 
  2.   B: Moderate 
  3.   C: Weak

RATING OF EVIDENCE

  1. Data from randomized controlled trials.
  2. Data from well-designed non-randomized trials, observational cohort studies with long-term clinical outcomes, relative bioavailability/bioequivalence studies, or regimen comparisons from randomized switch studies.
  3. Expert opinion.

KEY TO ABBREVIATIONS

  • CD4: CD4 T lymphocyte, “T cell”
  • HIV RNA: viral load
  • INSTI: integrase strand transfer inhibitor
  • NNRTI: non-nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitor
  • NRTI: nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitor
  • PI: protease inhibitor

GENERIC REGIMENS OR COMPONENTS AVAILABLE

(SEE “Class list”)

  • 3TC
  • ABC
  • ATV (Reyataz)
  • EFV
  • EFV/TDF/FTC
  • EFV/TDF/3TC
  • ETR
  • FTC
  • RTV (Norvir)
  • TDF
  • TDF/FTC

Download PDF of the 2024 HHS Recommandations.