A Comparative Analysis of Different HIV Viral Load Suppression Definitions Among Clients Receiving Care in the Miami-Dade Ryan White HIV/AIDS Program

The study's objective was to examine variations in viral load (VL) suppression definitions among clients in the Ryan White Program (RWP). Data from clients enrolled in the RWP during 2017 were examined to calculate the proportion of virally suppressed clients using three definitions: recent viral suppression, defined as having a suppressed VL (< 200 copies/mL) in the last test in 2017; maintained viral suppression, having a suppressed VL for both the first and last tests in 2017; and sustained viral suppression, having all tests in 2017 showing suppression. Relative differences across all three definitions were computed. Recent viral suppression measures were higher than maintained and sustained viral suppression measures by 7.0% and 10.1%, respectively. Significant relative differences in definitions by demographic, socioeconomic and clinical status were observed. It may be beneficial for care planning to report not only estimates of recent viral suppression but maintained and sustained viral suppression as well.