Question

Can I live a long live if my CD4 was 62 when diagnosed?

22 June 2023. Related: All topics, Life expectancy, Living with HIV long-term, Newly diagnosed.

In February 2023 I was diagnosed eith advanced HIV with a CD4 count of 62. 3 months late it went up to 206. I’m getting retested in a few days, so will find out where I am then.

Luckily, I never had any opportunistic infections.

Because my CD4 count was 62 when diagnosed, does my life expectancy decrease compared to someone who was diagnosed with a CD4 of 200+?

Sorry to ask. This is a question that runs around my head daily. I’m not even sure if my wife and I are going to have children anymore as I wouldn’t want to leave her with a young child. She doesn’t earn much as it is and I could see her struggling.

Thanks.

Answer

Answer: Simon Collins

Hi there

It is good that you were diagnosed and able to start ART – and that you have had such a great response to treatment.

So long as you are careful taking your meds, you can still plan to have a long and active life.

HIV meds – called ART are still reallyu effective, even if your CD4 count went very low.

I started HIV treatment in 1996 when my CD4 count was only 2. It tool about a year to see this increase to about 100.

I am still doing very well more than 25 years later. I still don’t know how long I will live – and you might do slightly better or slightly worse – but this shows you could have plenty of time to start a family, if this is part of your plans in life.

Good luck with everything