VIRAL LOAD

Apr 10 2025HEALTH

Why are some HIV-positive men in South Africa struggling to control the virus?

South Africa is grappling with the world's largest HIV epidemic. Among the many challenges, one group stands out: men who have sex with men. This group faces unique hurdles in managing their HIV. Yet, there is a surprising lack of information about what makes it hard for them to keep the virus in check. This is a big problem. Without this knowledge, it is diffic...

reading time about 2 minutes
Mar 06 2025HEALTH

Knowing Your Numbers: HIV and Teenagers in Kenya

In Kenya, knowing your viral load (VL) is crucial for teenagers living with HIV. This is because it helps spot problems with treatment early. A recent study looked at how well this is happening in Kiambu and Nakuru Counties. They checked records of teens aged 15-19 at six care facilities. The goal was to see if the teens knew their VL results and if the records were ...

reading time about 1 minute
Jan 03 2025HEALTH

HIV and Stigma: How They Affect Treatment for Women in the US

In the United States, certain groups of women face a higher risk of HIV. Black and Latina women living in disadvantaged areas are particularly affected. These women often struggle with sticking to their antiretroviral therapy (ART) treatment. This can lead to a detectable viral load (VL), which is not good for their health. The combination of poverty, HIV, gender, a...

reading time less than a minute
Dec 04 2024HEALTH

Medication Use, Spirituality, and Viral Load in HIV Patients in Rural Nigeria

All over the world, people take medications to manage illnesses. For those living with HIV/AIDS in rural parts of Nigeria, sticking to a strict medication schedule is crucial. This means regularly taking medication called highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART) to keep HIV under control. But how well do these patients follow their treatment plan? And does their ...

reading time less than a minute
Nov 25 2024HEALTH

Tracking Viruses in Sewage: A Two-Year Study in India

Imagine if we could predict outbreaks of flu and COVID-19 just by looking at what's in our sewage. That's exactly what scientists did in Pune, India. They spent two years, from January 2022 to December 2023, collecting sewage samples from 11 different areas. They used a special technique called reverse transcription-quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR) to...

reading time less than a minute