Q and A

Question

My viral load has risen to 200, what’s going on?

I’ve been undetectable and on treatment for 4 years. My last CD4 was 4580. My last viral load was at 200 though. What’s going on? Is my treatment failing?

Answer

Hi ,

Your viral load increase does not necessarily mean your treatment is failing. It might just be a blip. These are relatively common. They can be caused by other infections or a recent vaccination. Sometimes they are also lab errors. If your treatment had failed you would usually see a much bigger viral load increase. A retest should tell you if this is the case.

Your CD4 count is also variable. Rather than taking individual results doctors look at your count over time to see what is going on. Lots of things can also affect your CD4 count – the time of day for example or if you have recently done exercise.

You can find more information about viral load blips in our online guide.

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