Since 1997 there are medicines which ensure that you become less ill from HIV. A combination (?a cocktail?) of drugs usually works best. Together with medication for side-effects or other illnesses, people with HIV sometimes need to take many pills a day. The side-effects can be bad but these medications mean that if they can get them, people living with HIV can now live long and relatively healthy lives. However it is important to remember that no vaccine against HIV (currently) exists and there are no drugs that cure AIDS.