Question
If I adhere to my medication is resistance still possible?
10 June 2010. Related: Adherence, All topics, Resistance, Starting treatment.
Hi,
If I have a non-resistant strain of HIV and I am 100% adherent what are the chances of my strain of HIV becoming resistant? I am undetectable and my CD4 count has gone from 94 to 341 in 9 months. I am taking Atripla. My viral load was previously quite low at 12,000.
Answer
Thank you for your question.
Once your viral load is undetectable for more than 6 months, as long as you continue taking your HIV medication, you have a less than 5% chance of your viral load rebounding each year. Resistance in a previously non-resistant virus only develops under certain circumstances.
Firstly you need to be on medication. Secondly your viral load would have to be rebounding all the time so never quite undetectable and finally you would have to be not fully adhering to your medication for resistance to occur.
More detailed information on what to do if your viral load remains detectable or rebounds, how to avoid resistance in the future and different aspects of resistance can be found in the i-Base Guide to Changing Treatment and Drug Resistance.
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