Glossary

informed consent – a document that every person who participates in research is required to sign before entering the study. It outlines the details of a the study, including the known risks and benefits or any intervention. It also explains what is required during the study in terms of additional tests and clinic visits.

latent – not active at present, resting. Latently infected CD4 cells are CD4 cells that are infected with HIV but which are resting. HIV drugs do not work on resting cells.

undetectable – an amount smaller than a test can measure. For viral load tests, this means below 400 or, more commonly, below 50 copies/mL, depending on the make of test. In research laboratories, some very sensitive tests can measure down to 1 copy/mL.

immune system – the system that your body uses to fight infections.

wild-type virus – HIV that has no drug resistance mutations.

This is usually the virus that you were first infected with. However, approximately 10% of people who are diagnosed with HIV in the UK are likely to already have resistance to one or more HIV drugs.

This is called transmitted drug resistance. This is also why everyone diagnosed with HIV should also have a resistance tests.

Rates of transmitted drug resistance vary in different countries.