Background： The transmission of drug-resistant (TDR) HIV-1 strains might compromise the efficacy of current first-line antiretroviral treatment and has become a public health concern. Rate of TDR strains in treatment-naive patients was influenced by duration of infection and selection of study populations.
Methods： A prospective study on TDR was conducted in antiretroviral therapy -naive HIV-1 –infected individuals of HIV anonymously screening program from 2007 to 2011 in Southern Taiwan. Genotypic drug resistance mutations were determined by ViroSeqTM system.

Results： The rates of resistance to any three classes of ART were 17.6% in 2007, 13% in 2008, 8% in 2009, 6% in 2010 and 9% in 2011. The most common NRTI resistance associated mutation was M184V and T215S. The most common NNRTI resistance associated mutation was K103R, V179D and Y318F.
Conclusions： The rate of TDR was relatively low and stabilized in these 5 years in Southern Taiwan since introduce of free ART program in 1997.