Question
My viral load is zero, does this mean I’m negative?
16 September 2018. Related: All topics, CD4 and viral load.
I was tested positive 1 year back with a CD4 count of 310. After 3 months the CD4 went up to 540 and now after exactly a year it is 640.
I never got a viral load test before i started my treatment in the beginning but when i got a test now a year after medication the test results say Zero count. Is this possible? Or can it be due to an error in the test? How accurate can these results be?
If the count of 0 viral load is possible is there any chance that i could actually be HIV negative?
Answer
Thanks for getting in touch.
Viral loads aren’t usually given as a zero, but it is common to be “undetectable”. This is a good thing and it is the main goal of HIV treatment (ART).
Do you have a copy of the viral load test?
Might they have said that its simply undetectable?
Having an undetectable of zero viral load does not mean you are HIV negative. If you were to do another HIV antibody test it would come back as being positive.
Given that your CD4 count was 310 when you were diagnosed, I’d say that its very unlikely that you’re HIV negative. It is much more likely that the treatment is working well and this has increased it to 640.
Hi Favour, testing positive for HIV is lifelong. Your status is regardless of whether you take medication. This means that being on medication will not effect your test result – you will still test positive.
Hello
Sorry wanted to know if a person with hIV having ungoing treament if she carry out a test will it come out positive or negative
Hi Lumka, viral load is a number that lets you know how active HIV is in the body. A higher number means that HIV is replicating more and is less well managed. When viral load becomes lower (and eventually undetectable) it means that HIV medication is working well. CD4 is a measure of how healthy your immune system is. HIV damages the immune system, which is why when viral load goes up, CD4 often goes down. A higher CD4 number means your immune system is well (a healthy range is 430-1690).
Follow this link for more information on CD4: https://i-base.info/cd4-count/
Follow this link for more information on viral load: https://i-base.info/guides/testing/viral-load
Hello what is a difference between CD4 count and virus load
Hi July, as your viral load is undetectable it is safe for you to have sex without a condom. Have you heard of U=U? It means that when you are undetectable, HIV is untransmissable. There is no risk to your parter. This link can further explain this: https://i-base.info/u-equals-u/
Hi, I would like to ask if I’m on treatment for 16 years viral load say undectable CD 4 count says 900 , I’m tired to use condom my partner she’s nagative ,, I can have sex.without infect her,or passing HIV to her,
Hi Aliyu, yes you can use a condom. Though if he is undetectable there is no risk to you and you can have sex without. It is about what you feel most comfortable with.
Pls if my husband is undetectable and I’m negative can we use condom
Hi Lwando, HIV status shouldn’t affect who you chose as a partner. As a comment though, and only partly joking, the HIV negative partner needs to be smart and considerate and fun – and not have any negative feelings about HIV. Life is already difficult enough without us having to put up with ingorance and discrimination in our private lives :)
Hello, can a negative person be in a relationship with a positive person