Single isolated viral load test may result in false positives for those using long-acting PrEP

In a multinational study, an isolated lab-based HIV viral load test used by U.S. clinicians who provide people with long-acting, injectable cabotegravir (CAB-LA) HIV PrEP didn’t reliably detect HIV. In the study, a single positive viral load test often resulted in a false positive; however, a second viral load test with a new blood sample was able to differentiate true positives from false positives for all participants whose initial viral load test was positive. Findings were presented at the 2024 International AIDS Conference (AIDS 2024) in Munich, Germany.