Science Validates Undetectable = Untransmittable HIV Prevention Message
People living with HIV whose virus is completely, durably suppressed by treatment will not sexually transmit the virus to an HIV-negative partner, according to NIAID Director Anthony S Fauci, M.D. The success of this HIV prevention strategy is contingent on achieving and maintaining an undetectable viral load—the amount of HIV genetic material in the blood—by taking medication to treat HIV daily as directed. Dr. Fauci delivered these remarks at the July 22 U=U 2018: Celebrate, Activate and Implement! meeting held prior to the 22nd International AIDS Conference (AIDS 2018) in Amsterdam. Over the past two years, a grassroots movement has emerged to promote the value of HIV treatment as prevention through the “ Undetectable = Untransmittable ” campaign, also known as U=U. In his keynote lecture titled “U=U: Science and Policy,” Dr. Fauci traced the science behind the U=U message from early observational studies to more recent, large clinical trials. For nearly two decades, s