Question
My CD4 is 500, VL is 1000, is that bad?
21 January 2013. Related: All topics, CD4 and viral load.
My CD4 is 500 and viral load 1000, should I be worried?
Answer
Hello,
Thank-you for your email. Can I ask if you have just been diagnosed with HIV? If you have, how are you coping?
Both of your test results are very good.
A ‘normal’ CD4 count for somebody who is HIV negative is between 400-600. In the UK HIV treatment isn’t recommended until your CD4 count is 350 or below. This is because while your CD4 count is above 350 your immune system is still strong, and you are very unlikely to become ill because of HIV.
Your viral load is quite low, which is good. The viral load isn’t such an important test result unless you are on treatment already.If you are not on treatment then the viral load result is not usually used to make any treatment decisions. The exception would be if your viral load was 100,000 or above, which can be a reason to start treatment.
If you are on treatment the aim is to reach a viral load of less than 50. This is usually achieved within 3-6 months of starting treatment.
For more information about CD4 count and viral load please see our Introduction to combination therapy.
Hi Mphoza,
What is your viral load? If it stays high it can mean that your HIV meds are not working. What meds are you taking? Using or not using condoms doesn’t affect your viral load.
But once your viral load stays undetectable you can stop using condoms. If your viral load is very high it means your partner is at increased risk of HIV. Please see undetectable = untransmittable.
mi viral load is high is it because we are not using a condom with mi patner
Hi Bongani.
How long have you been taking ARVs? Do you take them as prescribed, so daily? Can you please confirm what your viral load is.
Hi i went to the clinic and they didn’t find my results of my blood test but the sister tells me that my viral load is high 1091.5 and she even wrote in the small piece of paper.
Hi Slindile,
What HIV treatment (ART) are you taking? ART aims to get your viral load to undetectable. This is measured as less than 50 copies/mL. So the doctor should have said less that 50.
How long have you been on treatment? It can take more than 3 months to get undetectable.
My Cd4 is 556 and my Viral load is 468.
The Doctor told me that my viral is too high,
The normal one should be 0,00.
Now m worried,
Should i be worried???
Hi Tiki,
Starting HIV treatment should reduce your viral load quickly. So it’s important to talk to the doctor and ask if they can test for drug resistance. You can then ask to switch to diffent meds that can work for you as an individual.
What meds are you taking at the moment, and do you know your CD4 count?
Hi my viral load it keeps on going high from 16700 to 23100 and I’m taking my meds right on time every day,the something wrong with me, it’s been 2 months they are taking blood samples, please help what’s wrong with me.
Hi Sandeep,
Yes your brother is going to need to change to a different combination. This is something that he should talk to his doctor about. The following may also help: http://i-base.info/guides/changing
My brother voral load 5742 he is taken ZLE since 6 years. Does he should change to second line treatment?