The existence of human immunodeficiency virus resistance to nucleoside-analog drugs has not been shown.

Human immunodeficiency virus is thought to develop resistance to the common nucleoside-analog drugs by undergoing certain mutations in the pol gene. However, laboratory techniques which test for viral sensitivity to the drugs fail to provide direct evidence for the existence of the phenomenon. Available clinical and laboratory evidence indicates that drug resistance is entirely an artifact of the laboratory and most likely does not take place under natural circumstances. A method to directly confirm or disprove this notion is outlined.