Question
Is my CD4 count and viral load within the normal ranges?
12 October 2010. Related: All topics, CD4 and viral load.
I am currently on treatment my latest result were: viral load 29 and CD4 count 431 is this within accepteble ranges?
Answer
Thank you for your question.
Your results are very good. Once you are on treatment the most important thing to monitor is your viral load which should, wherever possible, remain under 50 copies/mL. Some people get the occassional ‘blip’ where the viral load goes up a little bit and then down again. This is nothing to worry about. Your viral load of 29 is very good.
Which treatments are you on? Have you experienced any side effects? When did you start treatment?
For more information on CD4 counts and viral load please follow this link
Hi.just wanna check.im pregnant,started my treatment 2 months ago on a viral load of 431. I’m now 4 months.is my child at risk?
Hi Joy,
Please can you give us more info? Are you on HIV treatment (ART)? If so, what meds are you taking. And have you already had an undetectable viral load result of below 50 copies?
Do you have access to your previous CD4 and viral load results? Please let us know.
Hi my name is Joy my viral load is 75 should I be worried?
Hi Thabisile,
Congratulations, have you already had your baby? Or is your baby due soon.
It’s great that you are undetectable with a viral load of 40, because that is the best way to help protect your baby from HIV.
A Lisa says on this Q&A the World Health Organisation say that if a woman is on HIV treatment and has an undetectable viral load it is safe to breastfeed.
However, not all countries follow these guidelines.
Please talk to your doctor or health worker about breastfeeding. If formula milk is available and you have access to clean water, this has zero risk of HIV transmission.
If you live in South Africa you can contact the Treatment Action Campaign for support.
Hi I started Trivenz when I was 5 weeks pregnant that was August 2018 my cd4 count was 963 and viral load 43000 before medication. Now my cd4 count is 1083 and viral load is 40 can I breast feed
Hi Lashema,
Do you have access to HIV treatment (ART)? Taking ART can reduce your viral load to undetectable. And that can help your CD4 count to recover.
Are you on ART at the moment? If so, what does your doctor say about your results? You might have to ask to change your meds.
A viral load of 16000 increases the chances of passing HIV to your partner if you don’t use condoms. But once ART reduces your viral load to undetectable it can dramatically reduce this risk. Undetectable viral load is less than 50 copies/mL.
Please see this link to undetectable = untransmittable (U=U). There’s a lot of info that tells you once you’ve been undetectable for several months the risk to your partner is zero.
My viral load is 16000. My cd4 is 152. What are my chances of passing hiv to my partner.
Hi Felicia,
These look like good results. A viral load result of 45 copies/mL is undetectable. This is the same result as the 1.65 log copies/mL, it’s just written using these Log values. Viral load results are not usually converted to International Units Per Millilitre (IU/mL).
A CD4 count of 1640 is strong and with viral load at 45 copies/mL it looks like you are controlling HIV without any ARV treatment.
What does the doctor say about this? Have they talked to you about elite controllers? Elite controller is a term to describe people who not only keep a strong immune system without ART, but also keep an undetectable viral load.
Here’s more information about elite controllers.
hI
I am not on treatment yet. My latest result were: viral load 45 copies/ml, 1.65 log copies/ml, 75 UI/ml, 1.88log UI/ml, and CD4 count 1640 is this within acceptable ranges?
Felicia
Hi Anonymous,
Nucotrim is an antibiotic. It is widely used to prevent or treat infections such as pneumonia. It is also sometimes taken by people who are HIV positive and whose immune system has been weakened by HIV.
However, once HIV treatment is started the immune system can recover. Having a stronger immune system, or CD4 count, means antibiotics can be stopped.