Current HIV/AIDS First Line Treatment Regimens: A New Era of Hope
No CME/CPD credits | 
1 Hour | 
18 Mar 2026
Overview
About this course
Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) is a virus that targets the immune system's CD4+ T cells which are essential for combating infections. It is mainly a sexually transmitted disease but may also be acquired through sharing of infected needles or perinatally wherein the mother passes the virus to her child during pregnancy, delivery, and breastfeeding. If untreated, HIV infection can progress into a debilitating, but potentially reversible condition known as Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome (AIDS). Hence, it is crucial to screen individuals at risk for acquiring HIV and initiate antiretroviral therapy (ART) as soon as possible to prevent AIDS from developing. Timely treatment and prevention of disease progression are significant pillars in the management of HIV infection. For high-risk, non-People Living with HIV (PLHIV) individuals, pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) should be recommended and given to reduce their risk of getting the infection.
This e-learning module serves as a brief but comprehensive pharmacologic guide in the treatment and prevention of HIV infection.
Learning outcomes
At the end of this learning module, participants should be able to:
- Define Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV), HIV infection, and Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome (AIDS).
- Identify modes of transmission and key populations at higher risk for Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) infection.
- List the benefits of early detection and treatment of HIV.
- Explain the mechanism of action of the different antiretroviral (ARV) drug classes.
- Outline the standard antiretroviral therapy/treatment (ART) and pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) regimens.
- Monitor patients on ART appropriately.
Topics covered
- The 1,2,3,4,5,6 of HIV
- Definition of HIV and HIV Infection
- The Difference Between HIV and AIDS
- Modes of Transmission
- Body Fluids
- Preventive Measures / Messaging
- Key Affected Populations
- Typical Clinical Course of an Untreated HIV-infected Individual
- Treatment and Treatment Monitoring
- Pre-exposure Prophylaxis (PrEP)
- HIV/AIDS Online Resources
Speaker for this module:
Dr Raja Iskandar Shah Raja Azwa
Associate Professor and Consultant in Infectious Diseases
Clinical Lead for HIV Service
Department of Medicine
Faculty of Medicine
University of Malaya
Keywords: HIV, AIDS, Human Immunodeficiency Virus, Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome, sexually transmitted disease, HIV management, antiretroviral therapy (ART), HIV treatment monitoring, HIV Pre-exposure Prophylaxis (PrEP)