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There are several stages in the reproductive cycle of HIV. At each stage, chemical messengers called enzymes help the virus make copies of itself. Some drugs can inhibit (slow down or stop) the actions of these enzymes. When the enzymes can't do their work, the virus won't be able to reproduce itself as quickly.

Reverse transcriptase (RT) is one of the enzymes that HIV needs to make copies of itself. RT inhibitors work early in HIV's life cycle, just after it has infected a cell.

HIV needs to change its genetic material (RNA) to match the genetic material of your cells (DNA). Nucleoside Reverse Transcriptase Inhibitors work by interfering with this "conversion" process. Genetic material, whether it's RNA or DNA, is made up of nucleosides. An analogue is one chemical compound that is very similar to another. Nucleoside analogues are compounds that are almost the same as the basic components of genetic material. As the viral RNA is being turned into DNA, nucleoside analogues bind to the DNA and block the conversion process.

The side effects most commonly reported by people who use these drugs include nausea and vomiting, headaches, diarrhea, chills and fever. Not everyone will experience these side effects. Many people are able to "dose through" side effects by continuing to take the drugs and letting their bodies get used to them.