In Care but Without Virologic Suppression

Although a large proportion of patients in care are virologically suppressed on antiretroviral therapy (ART), rebounds occur. Such rebounds can have important implications both for individual health and for HIV transmission risk. Now, in an observational study involving HIV-infected patients in care at any of six clinics in the U.S. between April 2009 and March 2013 who, as part of routine medical care, had two or more viral load tests >30 days apart, researchers calculated the proportion of time the patients' viral loads were >1500 copies/mL (considered to be a threshold for heterosexual transmission).

A total of 14,532 patients were involved (31% men who have sex with men, 34% women; 64% black; 70% aged ≥40 years). During the study period,…