IDSA’s “Science Speaks”: When viral suppression didn’t last, lowering barriers to HIV treatment and care made a difference
Antigone Barton, senior editor and writer at “Science Speaks,” discusses findings from a report published in Open Forum Infectious Diseases on the “impacts of the Seattle Max Clinic’s enhanced efforts to retain clients living with HIV but not in care, not well engaged in care, or disengaged from care and unresponsive to outreach efforts.” Barton notes, “Compared to clients with similar treatment histories and challenges accessing standard services, those at the Max Clinic [– a walk-in, incentivized HIV care model located in a public health STD clinic that provides care in collaboration with a comprehensive HIV primary care clinic –] were more than three times likely to achieve viral suppression and showed what the authors call ‘substantial improvements’ in maintaining it” (8/7).