If the medication successfully suppressed the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) in the body, those who have the disease cannot transmit the virus to other people.
The antiretroviral therapy (ART) is the drug used for HIV to suppress the virus in a span of 12 to 24 weeks. If the level of virus in the blood has been reduced, the virus will eventually be undetected on the blood. The viral suppression can last a lifetime if the patient continues its medication.
The amount of HIV in the blood is called viral load. If the viral load reduced in a very small amount it will be called as viral suppression, and the chance of transmitting the disease to other people is greatly reduced as well. Those patients who are virally suppressed are safe and cannot transmit the HIV to other. Educators and health care providers are advised to share this news with the public, according to AIDS United Public Policy Committee.
Viral suppression is said to be one of the health goals of patients with HIV; a person is taking medication as prescribed exactly by doctors every day. However, if patients are virally suppressed it does not mean that they are cured; HIV is still present in the body. The virus though will not be able to replicate and cannot destroy the immune system which allows a person to live and have a normal life.
In the United States, there are approximately 1.2 million cases of HIV. 77 percent are under the treatment to stop the virus from replicating, 86 percent were aware of their diagnosis, and 30 percent are virally suppressed.