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 Mike, if your viral load is undetectable on ART, your partner is also protected. In some ways this reduces the urgency to tell your partner about HIV because there is no risk. This link has more information:
http://i-base.info/htb/32308
Hello.
I have a CD4 of 580 in August 2017. I have been on medication since 2016 when I got tested positive. I have had sex couple of times with my partner unprotected. Is he at risk of getting the virus? Because am very scared and i do love him much. Telling him about my status has been a challenge for me for the past few months we’ve been dating.
Hi Hatingham,
Its not possible to say when a person contracted HIV by their CD4 count. To have an idea about this a person needs to think about the risks that they may have had.
ART combinations are discussed in the following link, what you will be offered varies depending on where a person lives:
http://i-base.info/guides/starting
With regards to the change in CD4 count, its not possible to predict how a persons CD4 count will drop and when. This is why its important to be on medication. Once on medication you will be able to control your HIV.
Im not on ART yet. On 23rd Nov my cd4 count was at 395 on 14th of december it went down to 357 or an average drop of 1.8 per day. If my calculation goes i still be as healthy as i am without any opp. inf. by the end of january. My viral load is at 19k per ml. My question is, is it possible that i just got infected? What art would be advisable? Im negative to hep. AB or C nor syphilis.
Hi Thuli,
Do you know what your CD4 count is?
Even if you feel well and that you don’t have any symptoms, your HIV is still being untreated. If you want to control your HIV you need to be on meds. There’s more about this here:
http://i-base.info/guides/starting
Is there any reason why you’ve so far chosen not to use medication?
Hello.. I’ve been diagnosed with type 1 HIV for 17 years now. I have no symptoms, should I be worried about when to start treatment?
Hi Edmund,
Your CD4 is good, its very far from what would be classified as AIDS. As long as you take meds your CD4 should stay like it is, or even rise.
Hello! My cd4 reached 531, and I have this article and I know that I’m far from AIDS. Is my presumption true?
Hi Arun,
Your CD4 is doing great a rise from 16 to 443 is excellent. With regards to your viral load, has this even been undetectable, so less than 50? If it has then due to it now being 2451 you could be having problems with your meds.
When a persons viral load is above 50copies if they want to prevent transmission condoms should be used. This is because there’s a risk of transmission.
Hi,
I was detected HIV+ on 2012. I started my ARV treatment on 2013. My CD4 at the time of ART initiation was 16. Right now my CD4 is 443 and my viral load is 2451. I have unsafe sex with my partner till date. is it ok