Question
What are the most asked questions?
10 October 2016. Related: All topics.
Answer
About half of all the questions to i-Base are covered by the questions below.
Please check this page before asking a question. If your question is covered by the topics below, we forward you to these answers first.
Top questions
- Why doesn’t i-Base answer questions on HIV testing and transmission?
Important to answer this first. We do care but we also have limited resources. Instead we have published lots of online resources that already answer questions on testing and risk. This answer explains this and includes links. - Can I increase my CD4 count without ARVs?
Short answer – only ARVs can increase your CD4 count and keep them high. Not vitamins, not supplements, not so-called “immune-boosters” which are scams, not diet. Read the full answer for details. - What can make efavirenz (Atripla/Tribuss etc) easier – or should I change?
Side effects with efavirenz can be difficult. Efavirenz is one of the drugs in Atripla and the many generic versions that include Atenef, Atreslawin, Atroiza, Citenvir, Heftenam, Odimune, Tribuss, Trivenz, Truno, Trustiva and Viraday. - What happens if I am late or miss a dose of meds?
There is some flexibility in dosing, especially if you have been undetectable for some time. Aiming for the same time is a good habit but every one is late of misses a dose sometimes, without any harm. See the full answer for details. - How can one partner test positive and the other negative?
Sometimes this questions comes from the positive partner and sometimes from the negative partner. Often both partners can be confused because they might.have not use condoms, even for several years. The explanation in this answer explains this is common – and just the result of luck. - Can HIV positive people have a baby?
Sometimes this comes from a positive man and sometimes from a positive women. HIV treatment covers all situations. It lets couples conceive naturally if the man is positive and the woman is negative. It also protect the health of the mother and baby during pregnancy if the mother is positive. - What happens if I stop taking treatment?
Short answer: your viral load will rebound quickly and your CD4 will then start to fall – usually to the level before you started treatment. Please see the full answer for details. - What does the number mean on an HIV test result?
We don’t answer test question but we get this a lot from outside the UK. Short answer: less than 1.0 means you are HIV negative. See the full linked answer for details.
Hi Issac, yes this result is confirmed. You do not have HIV and your current symptoms are not being caused by HIV.
The drugs that you had restarted would not change the result of an HIV test. Antibodies will develop no later than 3 months after the last dose of PEP. If you had HIV, antibodies would be present and you would test positive.
Please speak with your doctor about any further tests.
Please see here for more information about testing and transmission: https://i-base.info/qa/factsheets/hiv-transmission-and-testing
i want to take this opportunity, to thank everyone of you on this site! I am very grateful!! I narrated my experience here, last year sept, when i had unprotected sex with a confirmed HIV positive lady, who was not on drugs, that i ended up getting her pregnant.
After the sex, we both got tested, she was positive and was previously unaware, i started PEP exactly 28hrs post exposure, adhered strictly for 30 days… 4 weeks after my last dose of PEP, i had multiple persistent lymph nodes enlargement specifically under my cheek, boil that oozed reddish pus after few days, persistent joint/muscle pains that lasted for weeks, sore throats, boils on my nose, rashes, dry cough, no night sweats, headache is irregular, etc…. with the above symptoms, i suspected the PEP has failed, or syphilis, but when syphilis test returned negative, i now believed it was HIV( all 3rd Gen HiV test within those 4-5 weeks post PEP was negative), i even started taking HIV drugs right away without a positive HIV, only stopped when i was advised to stop here…. Most of the above stated symptoms persisted on intervals until this moment, because of how severe the symptoms were i restarted the HIV drugs again 2 weeks ago.. i went for HIV test today with 3rd gen kits, to my greatest surprise, it returned negative(8months post PEP)… is this result confirmed? do the drugs i restarted 2 weeks ago? have effect on the test? enough anti bodies ought to have developed between oct 2023-June 2024 to be detected on test? what other test can i take, that could explain the above symptoms? should i redo the syphilis test?
Hi Kambalapally, is this your viral load? an HIV test result or CD4 count? Have you been given any more information other than this number?
I have 5.39 point of hiv
Hi Teboho, please see here for more information about transmission: https://i-base.info/qa/factsheets/hiv-transmission-and-testing
Condom broke Nd I immediately rinsed it with water and stopped also went to buy Prep iam currently drinking them as we speak.What are the chances of testing positive as the lady indicated she’s positive and not taking treatment.
Hi Uho, no this is not a sign that PEP has not worked.
For more information about testing and transmission please see here: https://i-base.info/qa/factsheets/hiv-transmission-and-testing
I’m experiencing fatigue, sore throat and flu just 10 days after finishing PEP, is it a sign that PEP did not work
Hi Alfred, please see this link for more info on PEP:
https://i-base.info/qa/factsheets/pep-faq
I just had an exposure due to a condom broke and started PEP within 24 hrs. After 30 days of exposure I had an ECLEA 4th GEN test and it went negative/non reactive. Is there any chance that my status change on the 42nd or 45th using 4th GEN ECLEA test again? I’m worried. What are chances that I may have HIV?