Study suggests healthcare providers should seriously rethink how they talk about HIV & low viral loads
Open Forum Infectious Diseases. Researchers at the Miller School of Medicine at the University of Miami authored the paper.Subscribe to our daily newsletter for a refreshing cocktail (or mocktail) of LGBTQ+ entertainment and pop culture, served up with a side of eye-candy.The basis of their conclusion comes from changes in the sensitivity of tests to determine viral loads.
In the past, anything below 200 copies/ml was “undetectable”. There has been no recorded case of anyone with less than 200 copies/ml transmitting the virus to others.This led to the undetectable=untransmittable message.
People newly diagnosed with HIV are usually placed on medication and informed that if they become undetectable, they cannot transmit the virus.
That’s reassuring for them and for their partners, and helps reduce stigma around HIV.However, in recent years, viral load tests have become increasingly sensitive.
