Pain has always been a considerable part of Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS). Recently, the HIV Medicine Association of the Infectious Diseases Society of America (IDSA) released guidelines on the management of chronic pain in HIV patients. HIV patients have an increased rate of chronic pain, mainly peripheral neuropathy.
This disease burden leads to increased rates of disability and affects the quality of life negatively. Pain in HIV patients generally remains undertreated and is more complex to manage in these patients for a variety of reasons such as complex anti-retroviral drug regimens, increased risks of side effects, and higher rates of comorbidities psychiatric illness and substance abuse . The newly released guidelines suggest that patients who are screened positive for HIV should be offered with various pain management options (non- drug) such as cognitive…
