Question

Will I die from AIDS?

10 February 2023. Related: All topics, CD4 and viral load, Living with HIV long-term, Newly diagnosed.

My CD4 test came back low and I’m very scared. I just got on HIV medicine, 1 pill a day. Will that help me get back my count up? I’m sacred to die from AIDS.

Answer

Answer: Josh Peasegood

Hi, how are you doing?

Do you know the number of your CD4 count? Do you know how long you have had HIV?

You are right that HIV treatment (call ART) will help get your CD4 count back up.

This means you are not going to die from AIDS, so please don’t worry about this. Effective ART actually makes it much more likely that you will lead a long life – hopefully into old age.

The CD4 count increases at different rates in different people, Even if this is slow, it should go up. Starting at lower counts can mean that recovery takes a bit longer..

Have you been given any other medication to take? When CD4 count is low people are usually given an antibiotic called co-trimoxazole. This is an antibiotic used to prevent other infections. This is used because while your CD4 count is low, your immune system does not work as well and co-trimoxazole helps to prevent infections you may be at risk of.

ART is so good that very few doctors even use the word AIDS anymore. It is more accurate now just to talk about HIV and that sometimes this can be advance HIV.

Modren

Josh.