Human Immunodeficiency Virus Type 1 (HIV-1) is a retrovirus that mutates and evolves rapidly due to the error-prone activity of its reverse transcriptase (RT) enzyme. This rapid generation of quasispecies frequently gives rise to drug-resistant strains, posing a major public health challenge and often leading to treatment failure. Highly Active Antiretroviral Therapy (HAART), also known as Combination Antiretroviral Therapy (cART), remains the cornerstone of HIV treatment. However, when the virus develops resistance to multiple classes of drugs, multidrug-resistant (MDR) strains emerge, severely limiting treatment options.

HIV-1 drug resistance testing is therefore essential to guide clinicians in selecting an effective antiretroviral therapy (ART) regimen. Genotypic testing is the preferred approach, as it analyzes the viral genome to identify resistance-associated mutations in the reverse transcriptase, protease, and integrase genes using patient blood samples.