Surveys of complementary and alternative medicine: part III. Use of alternative and complementary therapies for HIV/AIDS.

A series of 16 independent studies of the human immunodeficiency virus/acquired immune deficiency syndrome (HIV/AIDS) community and their use of alternative and complementary therapies over the past 10 years helps document the changes that have occurred. The earlier studies are characterized by political activism, lack of confidence in conventional therapies, and widespread use of alternative pharmacological therapies and unapproved drug use. The improvement of conventional treatment since the mid-1990s has been accompanied by a greater emphasis on complementary therapies used in conjunction with conventional drug therapy. Mind-body or psycho-spiritual therapies that help the patient cope with stress and adjust to life-threatening illness are the most popular.