2015-07-28T08:39:10
A programme at San Francisco General Hospital that offers antiretroviral therapy (ART) on the same day as HIV diagnosis led to a high rate of treatment uptake and more rapid viral load suppression compared to standard practices, according to late-breaking study findings presented on Wednesday at the Eighth International AIDS Society Conference (IAS 2015) in Vancouver, Canada.
Newly diagnosed people with HIV and clinic providers both expressed enthusiasm about the RAPID programme, which is now being implemented more widely as part of the city's 'Getting to Zero' initiative.
Studies have convincingly shown that early antiretroviral treatment improves the health and survival of individuals living with HIV and has the added public health benefit of reducing HIV transmission. But getting people into care can be challenging and some are lost at each stage of the HIV care cascade.