Question
If my CD4 count is 1295, does it mean I no longer have HIV?
15 March 2011. Related: All topics, CD4 and viral load.
I am HIV positive. My first CD4 count was 685 and then it went up to 1295 does that mean I am healthy and is the virus cleared in my body?
Answer
Thank you for your question.
A CD4 count of 1295 is fantastic! However, unfortunately it does not mean HIV is cleared from your body. CD4 counts do fluctuate up and down. It could also be that you were recently infected and your CD4 count is increasing after the initial infection. For more information please follow this link.
The good news is that your immune system is very good as your CD4 count is so high.
What is your viral load result? Usually this would be detectable, even with a high CD4 count, though a small percentage of people (less than 0.01%) maintain a high CD4 count and undetectable viral load, without needing HIV treatment.
My friend always advises me 2 go for testing because he tested negative. He used to say if you take start taking while you don’t ave any signs of illness the virus can be cleared is that true?
My mom just told me that she is HIV positive and I asked her the Cd4 count and she told me its 36. She has been taking treatment since February but the problem is that they use to make her weak and vomit,now the DR stopped her from taking the treatment and suggested that they need to change her medication. Now she is waiting for her new medication but since lastweek, so I’m a little worried as she is not taking any medication, is she gonna be okay? I’ so worried because she has lost weight and she is very thin now! Please help
Hi Chival,
It sounds like on of two things could have happened.
Most likely is that your mom has had a serious reaction to one of the HIV medications. Some of the older HIV drugs especially have a possibility of severe side effects. If somebody has a very bad reaction to one of these drugs the best thing is for the doctor to ask them to stop taking it.
Less likely is that your mom has experienced something called IRIS. This is when somebody with a low CD4 count (under 50) starts taking treatment and infections which were already in their body are activated as their immune system starts to recover.
If the first case applies to your mom her doctor has given her good advice in stopping treatment. It sounds like the doctor is going to give her new medication which will not be connected to the same side effects. With this new treatment she should start to gain weight and get better.
I have question for Lisa,what is she using for her CD4 to be this high…I’m impressed!
Hi Lisa
I can’t answer whether or not you should talk to this person about your HIV status because people’s reactions can be so widely different depending on their knowledge, awareness and experience. Some people who you would hope to support you may turn out to be prejudiced and ignorant. Others could completely surprise you but how they take everything in their stride as just a normal part of life.
Before committing yourself either way, why not test the water with general discussions, especially if a recent news story mentions HIV.
Then you can decide if this persons reactions are those that you want to include in your life, or whether it is worth your time talking to them about this. There is also the small possibility that they could be HIV-postive themselves.
The second part of your comment focusses on any potential risk to a partner who is HIV-negative. Transmission from an HIV-positive women on treatment to an HIV negative man who is using a condom is pretty close to zero. It is close to zero even if the condom breaks or falls off. Your viral load has been undetectable for eight years and while you are still HIV-positive, you would find it very difficult to pass the virus on sexually.
This is jumping ahead a bit though until you are able to discuss HIV and see whether you want a relationship. In this, I am only concerned that you do this in a supported way. There is no right or wrong way to do this, but it sounds important enough for you to at least see what his general response is, without this being personal to you.
Are you in contact with other positive women. There is a great support group called PozFem where I’m sure you could have very supportive discussions, again in confidence.
I’m also worried that your HIV status may have stopped you exploring sexual relationships for the last eight years. This would be really sad given that sex can be such a normal and important part of life. Now that research shows that you are at slight a slight risk of transmitting HIV, this might be a good time to look at all your opportunities :)
I am interested in someone who has been very special to me for many, many years. We split up and went our separate ways. I have never stopped loving him and he is back in my life again. I am so afraid to tell him. Trust me I have not and will not have a sexual relationship with him without telling him my status.
My dilemma is should I continue being by myself for fear of being rejected or should I take the chance and divulge my information? I don’t know if I could be only a friend to him because I do have such deep feelings for him. I have been alone for over 10 years now because of this fear. How do I keep him safe? I know about condom usage and all the safety precautions needed to prevent him getting the disease. Yet I am still afraid something may happen and I would never be able to forgive myself. I have read everything about the transmission of the disease and casual contact is impossible to pass HIV on to another person, but he seems to want more from me and I can’t. I actually feel agitated when he is near because I know my status.
My last CD4 count was 2269. I have been undetectable for the past 8 years. (They have asked me to be in some kind of a study because of my high CD4 count and undetectability.) I’m just so tired of being lonely and alone. The stigma of this disease is still horrible and can be self-defeating if allowed to be and very destructive.
Should I or shouldn’t I!!
You can still have a healthy sex life with your wife but you just need to use condoms to protect both of your from STIs including HIV. Many couples all over the world where 1 person is positive and 1 negative have a healthy sex life.
SIR,
WHAT IS THE INDEX VALUE. MY INDEX VALUE IS 586 KINDLY INFORM ME AND I AM HIV +VE I AM USING ART . BUT WHEN I WAS INFECTED THEN I HAVE NOT PARTICIPATE SEX WITH MY WIFE. MY WIFE IS -VE SHE AFRAID AND AVOID ME TO PARTICIPATE SEX BUT BOTH ARE TOGETHER MY CHILDRENS ARE NOT HAVING HIV. SO IS IT ANY PROBLEM TO DO SEX ARE AVOID IS BETTR. KINDLY SUGGEST ME WHAT ABOUT THE SEXUAL LIFE . I SHOULD OBEY YOUR ANSWER
Hi,
The minimum CD4 count is 0 but if you have no CD4 cells you are not likely to live very long, if at all. I have known people with CD4 counts as low as 1-5 who started treatment and are healhty today but they were extremely sick at the time when their immune system was so low. A HIV negative person usually has a CD4 count between 500-1200.
If you have a CD4 count of 346 you want to start thinking about HIV treatment quite soon as most people start between 250 and 350. For more information on starting treatment please follow this link.
Hi there
I want to know the minimum and maximum of the CD4 COUNT. I was diagnosed on the CD4 COUNT OF 346.
ur help will be highly appretiated.
Regards