Question

Can routine blood tests show if viral load blips?

20 December 2020. Related: All topics, CD4 and viral load, HIV transmission.

Hello I been undetectable for 17 yrs, Depending on what time of the day i do my labs (every 6 months) my CD4 count ranges 630-800.

My question: is there an indication from my labs that I may have had detectable viral load between test?

Answer

Answer: Simon Collins

Hi

Great you have had such a good response to treatment – and for so long.

The longer your viral load stay undetectable – year after year – the less likely it is to rebound.

This is because the very low levels of HIV below detection, slowly and steadily, continue getting lower. This depends on you continuing to take your meds :)

You can only know about a blip if it happens close to when you take blood for routine viral load tests.

This isn’t anything to worry about though. Any low level fluctuation is likely to still be below 200 copies/mL This is still too low for your partners to be at any risk. For example, if you are not using condoms and your partners are HIV negative..