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Updated: Aug 12, 2025

Amplifying and Quantifying HIV-1 RNA in HIV Infected Individuals with Viral Loads Below the Limit of Detection by Standard Clinical Assays
Published on: September 26, 2011
A Moving Target: Impacts of Lowering Viral Load Suppression Cutpoints on Progress Towards HIV Epidemic Control Goals
Joseph G Rosen1, Steven J Reynolds2,3,4, Ronald M Galiwango2
1Department of International Health, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, MD, USA.
Abstract:
Redefining viral load suppression (VLS) using lower cutpoints could impact progress towards the UNAIDS 95-95-95 targets. We assessed impacts of lowering the VLS cutpoint on achieving the 95-95-95 VLS target in the Rakai Community Cohort Study. Population VLS fell from 86% to 84% and 76%, respectively, after lowering VLS cutpoints from <1,000 to <200 and <50 copies/mL. The fraction of viremic persons increased by 17% after lowering the VLS cutpoint from <1,000 to <200 copies/mL.

