Most of the therapies in the first two sections of this guide have roots in ancient systems of healing that were developed in a variety of cultures over hundreds and, in some cases, thousands of years. The following complementary therapies were developed much more recently. Developed in the Western world, these therapies rely on Western science to explain their effects. But, for various reasons, they have not been widely accepted by the Western medical community.

With the advent of HAART as an effective conventional treatment for HIV infection, interest, among PHAs, in these unconventional therapies has declined over the past few years. Because many unconventional therapies are not widely accepted and have no tradition of use, they should be considered risky.