Increasing Rates of Viral Suppression Among Persons Living with HIV in the U.S.

As antiretroviral therapy has improved, viral suppression rates have also improved among persons living with HIV (PLWH). Investigators studied trends of viral suppression (HIV-1 viral load < 400 copies/mL) from 1997 through 2105 among 31,930 PLWH cared for in eight clinics across the U.S. Study participants were mostly men (82%) and 55% were nonwhite.

Viral suppression increased from 32% in 1997 to 86% in 2015. Patients with viral suppression were older (46 vs. 41 years) with a 5% increase in viral suppression for each decade of age. The likelihood of viral suppression was also 3% higher for men than women, 8% lower in black than white PLWH, and 6% lower in those who had acquired HIV through injection drug use, compared with men who have sex…