An undetectable viral load is when a person has so little of the virus in their blood that a test cannot identify it.
While an undetectable viral load does not mean that a person’s HIV is cured, it does offer tremendous promise for a person’s overall health and for reducing viral transmission.
In this article, learn more about what an undetectable viral load means, as well as how healthcare providers test for it.
What is an undetectable viral load?
A viral load test is a blood test that measures the number of viral copies of HIV in a person’s blood.
Typically, the higher a person’s viral load, the greater their chance of transmitting HIV if they have condomless sex or share needles.
However, taking antiretroviral therapy can reduce the amount of viral copies in a person’s blood to levels that are so low that they do not register on a viral load blood test.
Healthcare providers call this an undetectable viral load. While the measurement for an undetectable viral load can vary by laboratory, it is usually fewer than 40 copies per milliliter (mL).
A healthcare provider may also use other terms related to an undetectable viral load, such as:
- Durably undetectable: When a person’s viral load has been at undetectable levels for 6 months or more, it is durably undetectable.
- Viral load suppression: This term means that a person’s viral load is fewer than 200 copies/mL. While the virus is not undetectable, people with a viral load this low will not transmit the virus.
An undetectable viral load is an important milestone for a person living with HIV because it signifies that the amount of the virus in the body is not likely to cause any health problems.
According to UNAIDS, an estimated 47 percent of those who have HIV are virally suppressed.
The fact that antiretroviral therapy improves people’s health and makes the virus untransmittable has the power to help millions of people around the world.
A variety of antiretroviral medications exist. A healthcare provider should discuss the options and possible combinations with a person.
They will take into account the stage of HIV, a person’s overall health, potential treatment costs, and many other factors when recommending a treatment course.
Typically, a person who has recently received an HIV diagnosis will take at least three HIV medications from at least two drug classes to fight off the virus.
These medications keep HIV from replicating. Having less HIV in the body gives a person’s immune system a chance to fight off the virus.
A person will not immediately become virally suppressed when they start taking antiretroviral medications. It may take 6 months or more before the viral load reduces, so it is vital to start treatment as soon as possible.
Continuing to take antiretroviral therapy is crucial to ensure that HIV remains untransmittable. Even with an undetectable viral load, the virus is still present in the body.
If a person stops taking antiretroviral therapy, it may begin to multiply again.
Outlook
If a person living with HIV has an undetectable viral load for 6 months or more, the virus is untransmittable. An undetectable viral load also drastically reduces the chances of HIV causing any additional health problems.
Consistently taking antiretroviral medications can bring a person’s HIV levels down to an undetectable level.
If a person has recently received an HIV diagnosis, they should work with their healthcare provider to begin a treatment plan as soon as possible.
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