Question
Will ARVs still work if my partner’s CD4 count is 75?
5 September 2011. Related: All topics, Opportunistic infections, Starting treatment.
My boyfriend just recently found out that his CD4 count is 75 and the doctor told him that it’s too late and that the ARVs might not work.
– How true is that?
– And could I be the cause of his breakdown because I have been on ARVs for the past 4 months and he didn’t want to take the pills and continued to have sex without the use of a condom.
– Now he blames me and says I’ll be the cause of his death. Am I really?
Answer
Thank you for your questions.
It is not too late for your boyfriend to start taking treatment. The doctor is not correct in saying this. Studies have shown that people can start taking treatments regardless of how low their CD4 count is. Majority of people starting treatment achieve an undetectable viral load within about 3 months.
According to studies, with a CD4 count of 75, it is possible that your boyfriend could have been positive for a few years already. He is therefore not accurate in saying that you will be the cause of his death.
Studies have also shown that with treatment, people living with HIV can expect to live long healthy lives. It is therefore recommended that your boyfriend starts taking treatment as soon as possible.
As your boyfriend’s CD4 count is below 200, he could benefit with taking septrin. Septrin is an antibiotic that will protect him from getting Opportunistic Infections. These are infections that a person with a CD4 count of below 200, could easily develop.
Hi Lebo
Because your question is important, but on a different subject to this original question, I have answered it as a new post here:
http://i-base.info/qa/10213
I am on ARV and as it’s been five months now, can I drink traditional muti and arv at same time?
Hi Simon Collins ,Thank you very much for your coments,I would like to tell you that my boyfriend has now recovered.His cd 4 picked from 76 to 376 now .All the numbness I told you about are gone and he is very fit.I advised him to continue taking his ARVs,the rest of his life.I will keep on taking care of my self and test every year.Thank you!
Hi Paul,
I’m sorry to hear about your recent diagnosis- have you been able to talk to anybody about this? Talking to your partner can be very difficult and it’s important to do this in your own time, but it might help to talk to another HIV+ person or support group about this. THT has information about talking to people about HIV, alongside details of their support groups on their website here.
i have tested pos in june 2013 and my cd4 was 384 and 2mnts after it was 270 so im now on treatment and im afraid to tell my partner but we using protection
Hi
Your comment was also sent as a question.
It is answered at this link:
http://i-base.info/qa/8998
My boyfried was diognosed with HIV year 2010 wth a cd4 count of 200, 3 month after talking the treatment he went to check his cd4 count again and his cd4 has rised frm 200 to 568. Is this possible?
Hi Mondli,
No, these foods will not help to keep you healthy. The only way to increase your CD4 count is to start treatment with ARVs. No other medicines, herbs or foods can do this. It is important that you start treatment soon, within the next few weeks. The longer you wait to start treatment the higher the risk is that you will develop opportunistic infections like TB and pneumonia. Please see this guide for more information and let me know if you have any questions.
M hiv positive n my cd4count is 100 so m nt on medication wat m I sapoz to do can galic,honey.lemon and ginger help me not get sick
Hi Binnoludy, I’m sorry to hear about your boyfriend’s recent diagnosis. Please be aware that we are not doctors, and any information we give is intended to help discussions with your doctors.
I’ve answered your questions using the numbers you gave:
1) Your baby will not have HIV because you were not HIV positive during pregnancy or breastfeeding.
2) HIV treatment is very effective if taken properly and there’s a good chance it will work for your boyfriend. It’s very important that he talks to his doctor about any side effects or symptoms, although these normally improve after a few weeks. The numbness on the right side of his body sounds very unusual and it’s important to find out what is causing this. Please see our combination therapy guide for information about starting treatment.
3) Please see this previous question.
Please let me know if you have any questions.