Question
Can your CD4 count show how long you have had HIV?
24 October 2016. Related: All topics, CD4 and viral load, Living with HIV long-term.
Does your CD4 count tell you how long you have had HIV? I think I must have had it for a least 8 years. Today I had my first CD4 count results – 578 and my viral load is 3930. I have always been very healthy and looked after my diet could this be the reason why I am still well.
Answer
Thank you for your question.
Your CD4 count is still strong and your low viral load is also good.
Unfortunately, neither of these tests can show when you were infected. This is because there are such big differences between different people. Together with your hisotry of risk or exposure, the results can sometimes be interpreted to estimate how long your have been positive. This is always just a guess though.
If you don’t start treatment straight away, future CD4 and viral load test results will give an idea of how fast or slowly HIV is progressing. On average a person loses fifty CD4 cells a year, but there is still a lot of variability between people, so you are unlikely to ever know for certain.
Most people never find out when they were infected though.
It is good that you have a good diet but this is not directly linked to either CD4 or viral load.
Note: This answer was updated in October 2016 from an original quest posted in March 2008.
Hi Lesego, to be clear, your most recent result was HIV negative? You tested negative on the 3rd and then one week later you tested positive on the 9th? Has your boyfriend also taken a test?
HIV tests can take months to be accurate depending on what type of test you used. Do you know what type you used? In the last few months do you know if you have had anything that could have been an exposure? E.g., unprotected sex with other partners, needle-stick injuries or drug use?
Hi on the 9th of August I went to test and it came out positive but what surprised me is on that same month the 3rd of August I went to the clinic for family planning as I always do and tested nagative so I want to know how possible is to test nagative for years but to test positive for just a week.and on that 3rd of August that’s when me and my boyfriend started having unprotected sex.
Hi Chris, symptoms of HIV do not present this quickly after a potential exposure. Have you spoken to a doctor about the symptoms you are experiencing? You will be able to test from 6 weeks onwards with a 4th generation test – this result will be conclusive. Oral transmission is very rare because saliva contains antiviral properties which makes it difficult for HIV to survive. What you have described is not suggestive of HIV.
I had possible exposure almost 4 weeks ago. He did not ejaculate in me but a small amount of pre-semen got into my mouth. I got tested and was non-reactive. But a day after the exposure, I came down with diarrhea for a week and then my face started getting a numbness on the left side. Now I will get a sharp pain in my right and left shoulder a few times a day. Is it more likely or not that I have HIV from one very short encounter? I have no other symptoms of HIV but still very concerned. Going to take another test next week.
Hi Mbali,
It sounds like you might have been going through seorconversion. Please see here: https://i-base.info/qa/284
Are you now taking ARVs? How are you doing?
Hi I just recently found out that I’m HIV positive, got very sick last year, thinking it was covid, fever, soar throat, all the symptoms..and that happened after I slept with my partner at the beginning of November..I got sick around December Christmas week…I’m so confused, like is it possible to get symptoms that early? Or maybe I had it long time, I just didn’t know?
Hi Bruce,
It sounds like you could have been unwell in 2017. How are you now? I hope you’re feeling better.
But to answer your question, no, Hep B is a different virus from HIV and so it doesn’t cause HIV.
What do the doctors say about your treatment? It’s important to talk to the doctors about your meds because some HIV meds are used to treat Hep B too. So if you’re taking tenofovir, FTC or 3TC as part of your HIV treatment it’s important to keep taking them.
Do you have access to your latest CD4 count and viral load tests? What HIV meds are you taking now?
I had hep b in 1989, I found out in 2017 I had a hiv.with 44 cd4 count.Do you think hep b caused my hiv
Hi Sire,
Please see here for infomation about CD4 and CD4:CD8 ratio. There really is no accurate way to know how long someone has been HIV positive.
But what’s your viral load, this can tell you how well your ARVs are working. What ARVs are you taking?
hi
If i have a CD4 count of 340
CD4 Lymphocytes % – 25
CD8 Lymphocytes – 722
CD8 Lymphocytes % – 52
CD4/ CD8 ratio – 0.47
does this result tell when did I get infected and am I at risk now