Figure 1.

Viral load in plasma and semen during primary infection in treated (immediate arm) and untreated (deferred arm) study participants: (A) plasma, immediate arm; (B) plasma, deferred arm; (C) semen, immediate arm, Fiebig stage 1–4; (D) semen, deferred arm, Fiebig stage 1–4; (E) semen, immediate arm, Fiebig stage 5–6; and (F) semen, deferred arm, Fiebig stage 5–6. Fiebig stage correlated well with time from EDDI to the randomization visit; 95% (21 of 22) participants in Fiebig stages 1–4 attended the randomization visit within 5 weeks of EDDI and 91% (40 of 44) participants in Fiebig stages 5–6 had their randomization visit ≥5 weeks after EDDI. The median VLs in semen among participants who were in Fiebig stages 1–4 versus Fiebig 5–6 at the randomization visit were similar (4.22 log₁₀ copies/mL [IQR, 3.49–4.51] vs 4.05 log₁₀ copies/mL [IQR, 3.04–4.80]; P = .99). The initial rise in semen VL, which peaked at approximately 5 weeks and subsequent decayed, (as shown in Figure 2) may be responsible for the similarity in the median and IQR for semen VL for Fiebig stages 1–4 versus Fiebig stages 5–6. Different colors indicate values for individual participants. Abbreviations: EDDI, estimated date of detectable infection; IQR, interquartile range; VL, viral load.