Overview

This coverage transient describes key HIV viral load thresholds and the accessible viral load testing approaches for monitoring how effectively antiretroviral remedy is working for individuals dwelling with HIV. It gives clarification for and elaborates upon the present therapy monitoring algorithm from the Consolidated guidelines on HIV prevention, testing, treatment, service delivery and monitoring: recommendations for a public health approach.

This info may also help individuals dwelling with HIV to stay wholesome lives, be sure that HIV is just not transmitted to different individuals and help policy-makers in figuring out the optimum allocation of sources for viral load testing and speaking the outcomes.

Key messages embrace:

HIV viral suppression is crucial to enhance well being, stop sexual transmission, and scale back perinatal transmission.
There are three key classes for HIV viral load measurements: unsuppressed (>1000 copies/mL), suppressed (detected however ≤1000 copies/mL) and undetectable (viral load not detected by take a look at used).
People dwelling with HIV who’ve an undetectable viral load utilizing any WHO-prequalified mixture of pattern and testing platform, together with dried blood spot samples, and proceed taking treatment as prescribed have zero danger of transmitting HIV to their sexual associate(s).
People dwelling with HIV who’ve a suppressed however detectable viral load and are taking treatment as prescribed have nearly zero or negligible danger of transmitting HIV to their sexual associate(s).
HIV viral load take a look at outcomes is usually a motivation for adhering to therapy and attaining the last word purpose of being undetectable. Emphasizing and strengthening adherence counselling throughout antiretroviral remedy initiation and all through therapy are important, together with speaking in regards to the prevention advantages of viral load suppression to all individuals dwelling with HIV.
Current WHO-prequalified assessments, together with point-of-care and various pattern sorts resembling dried blood spot samples, can help the targets of therapy programmes to precisely measure and report viral load outcomes as unsuppressed, suppressed and undetectable.