Page 133 - 78 glossary of hivaids-related terms_opt

Teratogenic
Causing harm to a fetus by interfering with normal prenatal
development. Many drugs, including some anti-HIV drugs, are
teratogenic when taken by pregnant women.

Testosterone
A hormone necessary for normal male sexual development and
functioning and also important in maintaining muscle strength
and mass. Testosterone is sometimes used for the treatment of
HIV-related wasting syndrome and to increase muscle mass and
decrease body fat in people with HIV. Testosterone replacement
therapy is also used to raise testosterone levels in people with HIV-
related hypogonadism.
See Also: Wasting Syndrome
Hypogonadism

Therapeutic Drug Monitoring (TDM)
Measurement of anti-HIV drug levels in an individual’s blood. These
measurements are then used to make appropriate adjustments to
the dosage of the drug. TDM may help improve the drug’s effect
and reduce side effects by keeping the blood level in a specific
target range. TDM is mainly used for drugs in which small changes
in drug levels cause large changes in drug effect.
See Also: Therapeutic Index (TI)
Pharmacokinetics

Therapeutic HIV Vaccine
Any HIV vaccine used for the treatment of an HIV-infected person.
Therapeutic HIV vaccines are designed to boost an individual’s T
immune response to HIV infection to better control the virus. This
therapeutic approach is currently being tested in clinical trials.
See Also: Preventive HIV Vaccine

Therapeutic Index (TI)
A measure of a drug’s ability to achieve the desired effect in an
individual. Many anti-HIV drugs have a narrow TI, which means that
small changes in levels of the drug may produce big effects. Doses

HIV/AIDS Glossary 131