PLWH
Medical abbreviation · Infectious Disease
| Stands for | People living with HIV |
|---|---|
| Categories | Medical |
PLWH stands for People living with HIV, an infectious disease abbreviation.
Person-first term used in public health, research and clinical guidelines for people who have HIV infection. It replaced older labels such as "HIV-infected individuals" and "AIDS victims", which were seen as stigmatizing.
Example: Linkage program reached 92 percent of newly diagnosed PLWH within 30 days.
Usage notes
Variants include PLHIV (preferred by UNAIDS and WHO) and PWH (people with HIV). The phrasing reflects the Denver Principles of 1983, in which activists rejected being called victims. Pronounced as letters. Clinical trial reports increasingly use PWH for brevity.
Related abbreviations
More infectious disease abbreviations
- OI – Opportunistic infection
- OPAT – Outpatient parenteral antimicrobial therapy
- PAPR – Powered air-purifying respirator
- PCP – Pneumocystis pneumonia
- PEP – Post-exposure prophylaxis
- PHN – Postherpetic neuralgia
- PPD – Purified protein derivative (tuberculin skin test)
- PPSV23 – 23-valent pneumococcal polysaccharide vaccine
- PrEP – Pre-exposure prophylaxis
- RMSF – Rocky Mountain spotted fever
- RSV – Respiratory syncytial virus
- RVP – Respiratory viral panel
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This entry is for general education and is not medical advice. Abbreviation use varies between institutions; always confirm in context.