Question
What is an undetectable viral load?
27 March 2012. Related: All topics, CD4 and viral load.
What is an undetectable viral load? I had thought it was less than 50 but when I got my results today mine was 42 (down from 82 last time). Can labs measure almost any level of virus these days?
Answer
An undetectable viral load means that the level of HIV in your blood is below the threshold needed for detection by this test.
A viral load test is a measurement of the amount of HIV in your body. The measurement is given in the number of copies in milliliter (copies/mL).
If you are on treatment, then your viral load should go down to undetectable level (less than 50 copies/mL). Once your viral load goes down, then slowly your CD4 count will increase, although not to the level before infection.
Since your viral load has reduced from 82 to 42, this is a good indication that your treatment is working for you. It is also possible for your viral load can go down further too.
Viral load technology has progressed during the last 30 years of HIV history. The tests have been greatly improved and tests used for research are even more sensitive – down to 5 or even 1 copy/mL.
All hospitals in the UK now routinely use viral load tests that measure down to 20, 40 or 50 copies/mL.
Hi Joseph, a viral load of 20 is excellent. It means that your treatment is working and that HIV is not damaging your health. You are still HIV positive, but you can’t transmit HIV to someone else via sex. You do not need to use a condom or for them to be taking PrEP. This is known as U=U: https://i-base.info/u-equals-u/
My name is Joseph, I’m HIV positive. I’ve been on treatment since March, my recent viral load is’20’. My question is… what this means? Am free, what transmission to my partner?
Thanks.
Hi Stephen,
Thanks for your question, there isn’t however any direct data to say yes or no.
The immune response/activation caused by some other vaccines has been linked to small viral blips which, just with other blips, return to undetectable again within a week or so without needing to change treatment.
If the two are connected (we need a study to show this), the level of viral rebound is likely to be associated with symptoms. So if someone gets flu-like symptoms after a vaccine, it might be good to assume a low level blip might also be there. However, as I’ve noted research needs to be done on this.
With regards to being undetectable, your viral load is less than 200 so this is OK. Given that it’s 57, it should be less than 50 next time you have your viral load done. It’s good to have it monitored though.