Sustiva works by blocking a process that the
HIV virus needs in order to multiply. Like other viruses, HIV must use a person's own cells to reproduce. However, HIV is a little different from other viruses because it must first convert its genetic material from RNA to DNA. It is the DNA genes that allow HIV to multiply.
HIV converts its genetic material by using a special protein called the reverse transcriptase enzyme. To create DNA, this enzyme uses several different protein building-blocks.
Sustiva works by attaching to the reverse transcriptase enzyme, stopping it from making DNA. Without DNA, HIV cannot multiply. Sustiva is not a cure for HIV or
AIDS. It can help stop HIV from infecting healthy cells in the body, but it does not help cells that have already been infected with the virus.
Sustiva is approved for use in children as young as three years old. Talk with your child's healthcare provider about the benefits and risks of using the drug in children.
On occasion, your healthcare provider may recommend Sustiva for treating something other than HIV infection and AIDS. This is called an "
off-label" use. At this time, Sustiva is used off-label to prevent HIV infection in people exposed to the virus (such as a healthcare worker who comes in contact with a contaminated needle stick). This is called postexposure prophylaxis (PEP).
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