Q and A

Question

How do i know if my treatment is working?

My CD4 is 480 and i have been taking treatment for 5 months. How do i know if it is working?

Answer

Hi,

The best way to work out if your treatment has been working is to get a viral load test. Your viral load tells you how much virus is in your blood. Your CD4 count tells you how well your immune system is doing.

Because you have been on treatment for more than a couple of months your viral load should be under 50. This means it is undetectable. This is the main aim of HIV treatment.

A CD4 of 480 is strong – this is well above the level at which you normally have to worry about HIV related illnesses.

2 comments

  1. Roy Trevelion

    Hi, an increase in your CD4 count is a good thing. HIV treatment is the only way to increase your CD4 count. It’s OK that your CD4 count is increasing. It’s a sign that your immune system is recovering.

  2. sindi

    Hi, I got tested last November and found out that I was HIV positive. I was 5 months pregnant and my CD4 count was 25. Then after giving birth my CD4 count was 50 so what causes the increase? Is it still ok?

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