title: Retention in care and viral suppression among persons living with HIV/AIDS in New York City, 2006-2010.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  We estimated the proportions of persons living with HIV/AIDS (PLWHA) in New York City (NYC) retained in care and virally suppressed.
  
  
  METHODS
  We used routinely reported laboratory surveillance data to measure trends in retention in care and viral suppression in PLWHA in NYC from 2006 through 2010. Our denominator excluded persons lacking any HIV-related laboratory tests during the 5 years prior to the year of analysis.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The proportion of patients retained in care (≥ 1 care visit in a calendar year) was stable, at 82.5% in 2006 and 81.8% in 2010. However, the proportion of persons with evidence of viral suppression increased significantly, from 44.3% to 59.1%. Blacks were least likely to have viral suppression (adjusted prevalence ratio [APR] = 0.89; 95% confidence interval [CI] = 0.87, 0.90). A U-shaped relationship between age and viral suppression was observed, with the 20- to 29-year age group least likely to have a suppressed viral load.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Higher and more plausible proportions retained in care and virally suppressed than national estimates may reflect the difference in methodology and our comprehensive HIV-related laboratory reporting system.
authors.affiliation: Lucia Torian, Qiang Xia, and Ellen Wiewel are with the HIV Epidemiology and Field Services Program, New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene, Long Island City, NY.
authors.forename: Lucia V
authors.initials: LV
authors.lastname: Torian
authors.forename: Qiang
authors.initials: Q
authors.lastname: Xia
authors.forename: Ellen W
authors.initials: EW
authors.lastname: Wiewel
mesh_terms: D000163:Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000276:immunology / Q000628:therapy; D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D017677:Age Distribution; D018791:CD4 Lymphocyte Count; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005006:Ethnicity; D005260:Female; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000208:ethnology / Q000276:immunology / Q000628:therapy*; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009519:New York City / Q000453:epidemiology; D010349:Patient Compliance; D015995:Prevalence; D062486:Public Health Surveillance / Q000379:methods*; D044469:Racial Groups; D017678:Sex Distribution; D019562:Viral Load; D055815:Young Adult