An isolated viral load test may generate false positive results for people using long-acting PrEP

Colorized transmission electron micrograph of multiple HIV-1 virus particles (green) budding from a cell projection from an H9 cell (burgundy). Image captured at the NIAID Integrated Research Facility in Fort Detrick, Maryland. Credit: NIAID A single laboratory-based HIV viral load test used by U.S. clinicians who provide people with long-acting, injectable cabotegravir (CAB-LA) HIV pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) did not reliably detect HIV in a multi-country study. In the study, a single positive viral load test was frequently found to be a false positive result. However, a second viral load test with a new blood sample was able to distinguish true Read More