Why do I have to take so many pills?

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What we have learned over the last year is that the only way to control HIV effectively is to keep the viral load at very low levels. In order to do this, we usually need at least 3 drugs, sometimes more. Current preparations often allow for treatments using only 2-4 pills a day, but if these don't work then a larger number of pills are usually needed. This can mean taking anywhere from 10 to 20 antiretroviral pills each day, in addition to any other pills you are taking. Unfortunately, doing anything less than this usually results in HIV becoming resistant to the drugs.