My understanding is old, and largely based on mass-media supplied information,
with my own conclusions drawn from that information. So I could well be wrong.

So my belief is that HIV is the actual virus, and AIDS is a 'potential' symptom of it.
So if you are able to keep the HIV "under control", then you may be able to
prevent it from developing into full-blown AIDS.
HIV itself has few symptoms, but if it progresses to AIDS, then the AIDS symptoms will kill you.

As for the side-effects of the anti-retroviral drugs, who knows?
But if you have full-blown AIDS, what have you got to lose....