1. Monitored viral load: a measure of HIV treatment outcomes in an outpatient setting in Rhode Island
- Author
-
Francine Touzard Romo, Gillani, Fizza S., Peter Ackerman, Aadia Rana, Kojic, Erna M., and Beckwith, Curt G.
- Subjects
Adult ,Male ,Adolescent ,Anti-HIV Agents ,virus diseases ,Rhode Island ,HIV Infections ,Middle Aged ,Viral Load ,Article ,Young Adult ,Treatment Outcome ,Cost of Illness ,Risk Factors ,Ambulatory Care ,Humans ,Female ,Aged ,Retrospective Studies - Abstract
Community viral load measurements have been postulated to be a population-based biomarker of HIV disease. We propose the use of the monitored community viral load (mCVL) as an aggregate measure of viral load among persons receiving HIV care with available HIV-1 plasma viral loads and applied it to our clinic population from 2003-2010. We demonstrated a reduction in mCVL from 16,589 copies/ml to 11,992 copies/ml that correlated with a rising rate of antiretroviral use and HIV viral suppression; however, differences among risk populations were observed. The mCVL is a useful measure of HIV burden among patients in-care; it may reflect the HIV transmission risk in the community and help target preventive interventions.