Important Facts for Suppressed Viral Load among HIV Positive Adults
Definition
Percent of HIV-positive adults whose viral load is less than or equal to 200 copies per millileterNumerator
Number of HIV-positive adults who are alive and living in New Jersey in the corresponding data year, excluding those lost to follow-up, whose viral load is less than or equal to 200 copies per millileterDenominator
Number of HIV-positive adults (age 18 and older) who are alive and living in New Jersey in the corresponding data year, excluding those lost to follow-upData Interpretation Issues
Viral suppression is reducing the amount of HIV in the blood and elsewhere in the body to very low levels.[https://www.cdc.gov/hiv/default.html ^1^]Why Is This Important?
Getting and staying virally suppressed is not only the best thing people living with HIV can do to maintain their health, but also one of the best ways to prevent new infections through sex.[https://www.cdc.gov/hiv/default.html ^1^]Healthy People Objective: Increase the percentage of persons with diagnosed HIV infection who are virally suppressed
U.S. Target: 80 percent (aged 13 years and older)State Target: 93.5 percent (aged 18 years and older)