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Easy-to-read and illustrated information on undetectable HIV viral load.

If your viral load result is undetectable, there is only a little HIV in the body. The aim of HIV treatment is to have an undetectable viral load: this means that your HIV is being kept under control.

If you have had an undetectable viral load for at least six months, and you continue to take your treatment as prescribed, there is no risk of passing HIV on during sex.

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Undetectable viral load

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Undetectable viral load
Roger Pebody

Roger Pebody

Commissioning Editor

Roger joined aidsmap in 2008 and was Managing Editor from 2018 to 2024. As a freelancer, he now edits aidsmap’s news and conference coverage, as well as working on updates to About HIV pages. He is also a contributing science editor for TheBodyPro, a freelance journalist for The Lancet HIV, and a medical writer helping researchers prepare articles for peer-reviewed journals. He began working on HIV at Gay Men Fighting AIDS in the mid-1990s.

Basic information

CD4 and viral load

CD4 and viral load

Undetectable = Untransmittable (U=U)

U=U leaflet front cover

How treatment works

How treatment works

Undetectable viral load and HIV transmission

Mareike Günsche | www.aspect-us.com

My HIV is undetectable, can I stop my medication?

A white pill bottle is tipped over with white pills spilling out.

Viral load

A close up of a person's arm while they are having their blood taken. The person taking the blood is wearing surgical gloves. We can see some of the blood is already in the tube.

Blood tests before starting or changing HIV treatment

A close up of a person's arm while they are having their blood taken. The person taking the blood is wearing surgical gloves. We can see some of the blood is already in the tube.

What are logs in viral load results?

Vial of blood ready for viral load testing

What does undetectable mean?