What’s the big deal about stopping and starting my meds when I want?

HIV is a really smart virus. If you forget or stop taking your meds, the virus has time to learn how to fight against the drug. HIV will actually change itself when this happens: it's called mutating. If your HIV mutates, it can become resistant to that drug. That means that drug won't work anymore to fight your HIV.

Since HIV is changed forever once it's resistant to a drug, you can pass that on to another person if you have unsafe sex. When that person gets newly infected with HIV, they will never be able to get any help from that drug, even if they've never taken it before.

If you talk to your doctor about your meds and try very hard to stay on your drug schedule, your medicines will keep working and you can feel healthy for a very long time.