Question
Is it too late to start treatment?
19 March 2008. Related: All topics, Living with HIV long-term, Starting treatment.
I was infected with HIV in December 1988 during a street brawl and have not reported it. Is it to late too start treatment?
Answer
Thank you for your question. The short answer is that it is not too late to start treatment. There are people who have been infected with HIV for as long as you have, and have never been on HIV treatment.
Starting treatment is a very individual decision but it is useful to have this discussion with a doctor. What is important is that you are not pressured into it, that you understand what you are getting into and finally, that you are ready.
On the other hand, if you need to know when to start treatment, the UK guidelines recommend starting treatment before your CD4 count falls below 200. These guidelines are likely to change in the very near future to recommend starting treatment when CD4 count is between 200 – 350. This is based on recent studies that show there are benifits to earlier treatment.
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