Prevalence and indicators of viral suppression among persons with diagnosed HIV infection retained in care - Georgia, 2010.

Advances in treatment have led to dramatic improvements in the health of persons infected with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). Moreover, treatment can reduce HIV transmission because suppressed levels of circulating virus makes HIV-infected persons less infectious. Until recently, antiretroviral therapy (ART) was recommended only for HIV patients with advanced disease (stages 2 and 3), and was optional for patients with early disease (stage 1). In March 2012, national HIV treatment guidelines were changed to recommend ART at all disease stages. To establish a baseline for care and treatment outcomes among persons with HIV, the Georgia Department of Public Health (DPH) examined whether viral suppression among HIV patients in Georgia varied by disease stage at diagnosis before implementation of the new guidelines. Disease stage at diagnosis was assessed as an indicator of viral suppression several months after diagnosis, adjusting for age, sex, and race/ethnicity among patients who were reported to DPH with HIV infections newly diagnosed during 2010 and retained in care. This report describes the results of that analysis, which indicated that disease stage at diagnosis was a significant indicator of viral suppression; viral suppression was significantly less frequent among persons with earlier disease stage at diagnosis. Compared with viral suppression among 80.5% of persons with stage 3 HIV disease, only 72.3% with stage 2 disease (prevalence ratio [PR] = 0.9; 95% confidence interval [CI] = 0.8-1.0) and 64.5% with stage 1 disease (PR = 0.8; CI = 0.7-0.9) met criteria for viral suppression, likely resulting from lack of initiating treatment or inadequate adherence to treatment regimens, as suggested in previous studies. These data can serve as a baseline to determine the impact of the guideline change in the future, and can be used to emphasize the importance of implementing the guidelines by expanding treatment to persons at all disease stages to reach the goal of viral suppression for all persons with HIV, thus closing the gap in viral suppression among persons diagnosed at disease stages 1 and 2. Health-care providers and community-based organizations should inform patients of the recommendation for ART initiation at all disease stages.