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Today, people with HIV can live longer with this infection, with a better quality of life, than ever before. For this to be true, they should begin medical care and start treatment as soon as they are diagnosed. When people with HIV visit their health care provider regularly and take their medicine as directed, they’ll keep their viral load (the amount of HIV in the blood) as low as possible. A consistent low viral load can keep people with HIV healthy for many years, and a low viral load greatly reduces the risk of transmitting the virus to others.