When it comes to treating HIV (human immunodeficiency virus), one of the most important numbers your doctor will watch is your HIV viral load. Basically, this refers to how much HIV is in your bloodstream. When you treat HIV, this number stays low, which can help prevent HIV from progressing to AIDS (acquired immunodeficiency syndrome).
Treatment for HIV has come a long way, but there are still a lot of myths about the disease. Understanding HIV viral load better is crucial for combating the stigma, improving awareness, and improving treatment outcomes.
Stella A. Safo, MD, MPH, is an HIV primary care physician and assistant professor of Medicine at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai Hospital.
References
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2023). HIV treatment as prevention.
HIV.gov. (2023). Viral suppression and an undetectable viral load.
Justiz Vaillant, A. A., et al. (2022). HIV disease current practice. StatPearls.
MedlinePlus. (2022). HIV viral load.
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