What are the key goals of palliative care in advanced HIV?

• A. To cure HIV infection.
• B. To maximize laboratory values at all costs.
• C. To focus on aggressive curative therapy only.
• D. Symptom management, quality of life, psychosocial support; advance care planning.

Answer: (D)

Palliative care in advanced HIV centers on relief of suffering and aligning care with what matters most to the patient, rather than pursuing cure or endless testing. The best answer reflects focusing on symptom management, preserving quality of life, providing psychosocial support, and planning for future care decisions.

In practice, this means actively controlling symptoms like pain, fatigue, neuropathy, GI issues, and sleep problems; supporting emotional well-being and coping with stigma or mental health challenges; helping with social needs, such as housing, finances, and support networks; and engaging in advance care planning so the chosen goals of care, preferences, and end-of-life wishes are understood and respected. This approach is typically provided alongside antiretroviral therapy, not as a substitute for disease-modifying treatment, because the aim is comfort and function, not necessarily a cure.

Options that focus on curing HIV, maximizing lab values at all costs, or only pursuing aggressive curative therapy do not fit palliative care, since they prioritize disease elimination or numeric targets over the patient’s comfort, daily function, and personal goals.