The Development of a Standardized Quality Assessment Material to Support Xpert HIV-1 Viral Load Testing for ART Monitoring in South Africa.

The tiered laboratory framework for human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) viral load monitoring accommodates a range of HIV viral load testing platforms, with quality assessment critical to ensure quality patient testing. HIV plasma viral load testing is challenged by the instability of viral RNA. An approach using an RNA stabilizing buffer is described for the Xpert HIV-1 Viral Load (Cepheid) assay and was tested in remote laboratories in South Africa.

HIV-1 viraemia and drug resistance amongst female sex workers in Soweto, South Africa: A cross sectional study.

Background: HIV drug resistance (HIVDR) poses a threat to future antiretroviral therapy success. Monitoring HIVDR patterns is of particular importance in populations such as sex workers (SWs), where documented HIV prevalence is between 34-89%, and in countries with limited therapeutic options. Currently in South Africa, there is a dearth in evidence and no ongoing surveillance of HIVDR amongst sex work populations.