Undetectable Viral Load Reduces the Risk of Sexual Transmission of HIV to Negligible levels - The Studies:

Undetectable Viral Load Reduces the Risk of Sexual Transmission of HIV to Negligible levels A growing body of evidence demonstrates that people living with HIV who have a sustained undetectable viral load for six months or more have a negligible – meaning so insignificant, small, or unimportant as to not worth being considered – chance of passing on the virus during sex, regardless of whether cond. [...] Takeaways from HPTN 052: • beginning HIV treatment upon learning of a diagnosis reduced the risk of onwards transmission by 96% compared to people who were HIV-positive but not on treatment • the study was interested in the effects of antiretroviral treatment more broadly on HIV transmission risk, not just people who attained and sustained an undetectable H. [...] Takeaways from PARTNER: • effective HIV treatment lowers the viral load in many people living with HIV to undetectable levels, and an undetectable viral load renders the risk of transmitting HIV to effectively zero • some participants were removed from the study because their viral load ceased to be undetectable and did not return to being undetectable, rendering them ou. [...] Notably, these people did not transmit HIV despite a temporary rise in their viral load4 • the presence of an STI did not impact the risk of transmission for a person living with HIV when accompanied by an undetectable viral load5 What These Results Mean The results of these studies attest to the truth and power of HIV treatment as HIV prevention. [...] ACT is dedicated to strengthening the health and well-being of the communities it works with, and recognizes its role in communicating the benefits and limitations of emerging HIV treatment and prevention technologies.