Gilead: The quality of life of people with an undetectable viral load is the same as that of the general population

Gilead Sciences has announced the results of an online survey that assessed the quality of life of people living with HIV (PLHIV) compared to that of the general population. The study was conducted in Taiwan in 2021. The results are due to be presented at the Asia Pacific AIDS and Co-infection Conference (APACC 2022), Yahoo! finance reports.

One-hundred-and-twenty people who were living with HIV and virally suppressed were surveyed, using the EQ-5D-5L questionnaire, which assesses quality of life in across with five areas: mobility, self-care, daily activities, pain/discomfort and anxiety/depression.

For the most part, those surveyed reported a high level of quality of life (80%). Higher rates were also noted for mobility, self-care and daily activities (work duties, household chores, leisure activities).The pain/discomfort and anxiety/depression sections scored lower, however.

More than 30% of the respondents said that they do not feel supported by society. Social factors, such as stigmatisation, reduce well-being indications by as much as two times.

"Self-reported outcomes by PLHIV in our survey show that they can enjoy a similar quality of life to those without the disease. This is remarkable and an encouraging call for the clinical community to support their clients to achieve success in viral suppression." said Dr Chien-Yu Cheng, co-author of the study and Chief of the Division of Infectious Diseases, Taoyuan General Hospital.