Question
With a CD4 count of 77 do I have AIDS?
11 June 2010. Related: All topics, CD4 and viral load, Starting treatment.
Hi,
Having been reading around about HIV. After getting diagnosed I got my results and my CD4 count is 77, does this mean I’m classed as having AIDS? Do you need to have an OI as well?
I have started treatment and touch wood it is going well but its only 7 days in.
If you can offer any advice this would be great and thanks for this great and useful website.
Answer
Thank you for your question.
I am glad to hear you are getting on well with your medication.
Having a CD4 count below 200 is included in some definitions for ‘AIDS’ – for example, in the U.S. but not in the UK or most European countries. This shows that the term itself is not so useful now that there is effective treatment, and the term ‘AIDS’ as a diagnosis is no longer commonly used.
It does not matter whether you label yourself as having ‘AIDS’ or not. What matters is that you are accessing the HIV medications you need to bring your CD4 count back up and your viral load to undetectable levels.
If you wish to find out any further information on the drugs you are taking the please contact us again with more details. For general information on stsrting combination therapy please follow this link to the i-Base ‘Introduction to Combination Therapy’ guide.
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