Public health and HIV viral load
UNAIDS - "The primary purpose of antiretroviral therapy is to keep people living with HIV in good health. In the large majority of people living with HIV, antiretroviral medication can be chosen that reduce the amount of HIV in the blood to levels that are undetectable by standard laboratory tests.
(...) Antiretroviral therapy is transformative for people living with HIV. It enables people to regain their quality of life, return to work, enjoy their families and enjoy a future filled with hope.
In addition to the positive impact upon the health of people living with HIV, there is increasing consensus among scientists that people with undetectable HIV in their blood do not transmit HIV sexually. This knowledge can be empowering for people living with HIV. The awareness that they are no longer transmitting HIV sexually can provide people living with HIV with a stronger sense of being agents of prevention in their approach to new or existing relationships. (...)
Globally, there needs to be better access to viral load assays at affordable prices, combined with effective laboratory systems and robust health services. Stronger efforts should be in place to ensure that all people living with HIV have access to treatment as soon as they are diagnosed." (Photo: flickr/CC BY 2.0)