Question

After years being undetectable my last VL result was 94

5 August 2024. Related: All topics, CD4 and viral load.

I have been undetectable for almost 23 years. now I’m concerned because my viral load came detected to 94 copies/mL. I’m concerned what can I do?

Answer

Answer: Simon Collins

Hi there

Please do not worry.

If nothing else has changed in your life – ie if adherence is the same and no new drugs that might interact – and no recent infections or vaccinations that can cause viral activity – then the result is likely to just be a random blip.

Blips are when viral load pops above detectable for no apparent reason. Most guidelines define a blip as a result above 50 but below 200 copies/mL.

Most blips become undetectable again without needing to change treatment.

In the UK, any blip result is confirmed by a second viral load test taken on a new sample, when the blip result is reported.

Sometimes low level blips can just be a lab error though because viral load test are not so sensitive at these very low levels. So sometimes testing the original sample again might give you an undetectable result.

This i-Base guide has more detail:
https://i-base.info/guides/changing