Question
How long should I wait for undetectable viral load?
29 December 2017. Related: All topics, CD4 and viral load, HIV transmission.
Hello
I recently had been diagnosed with HIV and my doctor prescribed me combined ART therapy of Truvada (tenofovir+FTC) and Sustiva (efavirenz).
My blood test showed CD4 of 679 and viral load of 70,000. It\'s been a month and half since I started with combined ART therapy, and I\'ll do my full check in 3 months from now
My question is:
How high is the possibility of transmitting HIV to someone If I have safe sex after one month of treatment, and when I should expect my viral load to become undetectable?
Many thanks
Answer
Hi
Thanks for writing – I hope everything is going okay with the new treatment.
Viral load start to drop very quickly from the first pill. So within the first week your viral load was probably less than 10,000 and it will continue to drop over the next few months.
Some people become undetectable on your combination within a month but most people take about three months. The only way to know is to get the test results though.
Using condoms is safe even before your started treatment. They are very effective so long as they are used in the right way every time.
After your viral load has been undetectable for a month or two, your treatment is working as “safe sex” – even if you don;t use condoms or if a condom breaks. Having an undetectable viral load stops transmission better than condoms.
Hi Mn,
It looks like your viral load result uses Log values. So 3.43 means viral load is about 2,000 copies m/L.
Please can you tell us more? Do you know what your viral load was when you tested positive?
Am taking Truvuada and efavirenz from 3 month and i made viral load and its 3.43*10^3 is it good enough ?
Hi Sino,
It could be possible. What does the result say exactly? And do you know your CD4 count? Please let us know.
It’s great that you’ve started HIV treatment (ART). That’s the best way to protect your health, and your baby’s health too.
Here’s the guide to HIV pregnancy and women’s health. There’s lots of info in this, including for after your baby is born.
Hi I just found out that I’m HIV+ and I’m 21 weeks pregnant and also my viral load is undetectable is that possible? I just started treatment 4 days ago
Hi Amila,
It’s good that you’ve started ARVs. That’s because ARVs start to reduce your viral load very quickly once you start taking them. This can be around 90% in the first few days. Please see this Q&A.
Also HIV is not easy to catch. So this seems to be just one potential risk. But do you have access to your viral load for when you tested positive?
You could talk to the doctor about this viral load result to find out. Having a very high viral load can increase risk of transmission. A low viral load reduces risk of transmission. And an undetectable viral load means HIV cannot be transmitted even if you don’t use condoms. Please see U=U.
As Lisa says on this Q&A, it can be hard to tell someone that you love about your HIV.
Here’s a link to the PARTNER study.
Having all this info might help you to think of ways to talk to him.
Hi I’ve been on ARVs for about two weeks now, started treatment the day I tested positive, didn’t want to wait no longer. Yesterday while having sex I noticed that my partner had removed the condom after I told him not to, and I haven’t disclosed my status to him as yet. Now I am worried that he might have caught the virus, and im scared to tell him that I am positive. I am not ready yet to disclose to him. Its been about 12 hours now.
Hi Hannah,
Its now recommended that when someone is diagnosed that they start treatment. So, no you haven’t started too early, and this is even if your CD4 count is high and viral load already low.
I started taking Atripla immediately I found out that I was positive, with a viral load of 156 and cd4 count of 900+…. What are the possible implications, did I start too early?
Hi Nozie, HIV is quite difficult to catch, so even if this person was positive you still might be HIV negative. Also, if they were taking HIV treatment, this would also have protected you. After five days he only thing you can do is to wait a few more weeks and then take a test to find out.
I slept with someone 5 day back I think he is positive is it possible I’m positive now or is there something I can do to prevent this