Question
How long does it take to become undetectable?
13 November 2015. Related: Adherence, All topics, CD4 and viral load, Changing treatment, Sero different couples.
Me and my girlfriend have been having unprotected sex for 3 months between August and October. She told me around the end of October that she”s been HIV positive for 5 years. She’d been undetectable. I also went with her to get her HIV viral load test and her viral load went up because she stopped taking her medicine in October for about 3 weeks to a month. She stopped taking it cause she felt depressed. Her viral load was about 1600 and her CD4 is over1300. We use condoms now since her viral load went up but we still both perform unprotected oral sex on each other. I was tested almost 2 weeks ago and I was negative. I had a antibody test and a HIV viral load test.
She started taking her medicine again around the end of October and has been taking it since. The name of her medicine is called Complera. How long will it take her viral load to drop? How long will it take her to get undectable again? Will her body become resistant to Complera?
Answer
Hi,
So your girlfriend should quickly become undetectable again. Viral load drops very quickly with effective treatment and you girlfriend’s is quite low already. People often become undetectable within a month of starting.
The risk of transmission of receiving oral sex generally, and giving oral sex to a woman are both likely to be zero, or close to zero. For your test to be accurate you should test 28 days after your last exposure. This means after the last time you had unprotected sex with your girlfriend when she wasn’t on treatment. That test will pick up 95% of infections. This pretty much shows you are HIV negative. Then, a test at 3 months will confirm that.
You can find more information about testing in our guide.
You don’t say if Complera was the same medication she was on before. If it was the risk of developing resistance is lower than if she stopped gradually, taking some here and there.
She could ask at her clinic if they have resistance testing available. If not her viral load going down and then becoming undetectable is a sign that she is not resistant to the meds she is on. In the future it is important for her to keep taking her meds.
If she has side effects that are affecting here she should take to her doctor or clinic. They can change her to a different combination, rather than just stopping.
Hi Dineo,
Please see the above post.
Once your viral load is undetectable, sex without a condom will be safe.
just started my arvs last thusday and my partner is negative my cd4 is 326 we want a baby how long must we wait nd if i cpold have infeted him how long will it take to take showing on his blood ( we r using condoms) by the way pls reply on my email
Hi Jimmy,
The only way you can know what your viral is as well as your CD4 count is if you have them tested. Is there anywhere where you can have this done?
Im now 5 months on treatment and in my hospital they dont test for viral load hw would i know about my CD4 count or viral load, and i have not got sick ever since when i started my med
Hi Magesh,
Its great that you’re viral load has become undetectable within 3 months.Ideally this is what’s supposed to happen. What this means is that you’re in control of your HIV and the meds are working really well.
When someone has an undetectable viral load they cannot transmit HIV. Please see here for more info:
http://i-base.info/htb/32308
Hi. I am hiv positive since frm 2017 april and i stated my treatment early may 2017 and on 17 august a nurse took my blood to check my virsl load and on 7th of September 2017 by the time i go to collect my treatment the nurse showed me my viral load and it was 43 n with cd4 count of 640 and she was explaning to me but it wasnt clear bcz she used a language tht i dnt understand well but she said my viral load is good. So aftr dat i had sex with my patner who is negetive without using a condom for about 7 times. So do u think i infected her? Wht are the chances tht i infected her with HIV virus? Plz help cn u clarify to me how does tjis thing of undetected n detectable works? And is it possible fr my viral load to reach 43 in 3months? Because honestly i was exposed on 10 march this year and tested positive aftr 6 weeks in april amd stated taking treatment in may 19th?
Hi Porshy,
No she shouldn’t just take someone else’s ARVs. She needs to take meds that are suitable for her. This is something that her doctor should go through with her. Do you know what her CD4 count is?
My mom just found out she’s HIV and her cd4 count is very low can she use someone else ARV’s so long she’s waiting to go and take hers on Friday
Hi Eloi,
The risk of someone transmitting HIV when they have an undetectable viral load is close to zero. For more info, please see the results of the PARTNER study:
http://i-base.info/qa-on-the-partner-study/
I`m inquiring for a good friend who does not have an email…he wants to know when your viral load becomes undetectable and you keep taking your medication can you have unprotected sex with you wife or partner????