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 Iam… There is a lot of research into both better treatment and HIV cure.
The case with Timothy Brown involved such dangerous procedures that he was very lucky to survive. It is not about the cost, it is about risk and safety. The procedures were far more dangerous that regular HIV treatment, which is generally easy and safe.
This person was very seriously ill and the HIV cure was almost a second benefit. Other people who have tried the same treatments ahve not been cured.
If The Aim of ART Medication is to bring the HIV Virus to Undetecatable Level is good but Very Bad if the aim is not to Eradicate it. “Simple” “Right”
How about starting to eradicate it?
If Timmoty Brown received A Donor and survived Bone Marrow Transplant why would anyone won’t? He is a Lucky Man!
How much did he paid cause Chosing Life is Better than Profit. One Would say “I’d rather go broke than to DIE” I will get second chance to work again and make some money or maybe even more than the previous one.
Take your medication properly it is good for you but remember that being an HIV patient you are generating a steady flow of you know what i mean. It Is True.
MEDICATION SAVED MORE LIVES BUT LIVES STILL IN DANGER
Personnal Opinion and got nothing to do with I-Base founders and so on.
#KILLHIVVIRUS
#CHOSELIFE
Hi Iam…
This resource will help explain how treatment works and why the remaining HIV on treatment is difficult to cure.
http://i-base.info/guides/art-in-pictures
With very low viral load, it is not 5 or 10 copies in your body, but 5 0r 10 copies per millilitre in your blood. There are also low levels of sleeping cells with HIV in many other parts of your body.
Many of the same companies who make HIV drugs are also investing in research into finding a cure. It is not fear of losing profit that is taking the time – it is the real difficulty of how to cure HIV that is the delay.
The way BiG Pharma and Pharamaticeal Companies are doing is horible! And Scientist in particular! First let us start here where someone got HIV okay with whatever Viral Load and CD4 Count =T Cell number is. It is a life threatning that requires ones Proper Self Defence “Right”! (Get Rid Off Your Potential Attacker not by relying how hard is your attacker is going to knock you) “Right”
They say HIV Virus Hides in Urinary Tract, Bone Marrow and the Brain after suppressing it with ART and it Becomes Undetectable after several month okay!
Blood Is Not Semen but these are two things that HIV Virus is relying on in order to travel around the Humans Immune System “Right”
So what is it that they use to make HIV Virus Undetectable and Stop It from Replication? (ARVs)
After knowing where HIV Virus Hides then why they do not go to those exacly spots and Kill it?
“BECAUSE SURELY THEY CANNOT FAIL TO KILL OR REMOVE 5 OR 10 COPIES OF THE REMAINING VIRUS”
SUPPRESSING IS A GOOD JOB BUT NOT ENOUGH
oh, I forgot that there is no PROFIT in “CURE”
Suppressing Is Not Eradication!
Hi Cindy.
Are you on medication? If you are how long have you been on it for? If you aren’t on medication then my advise would be to start. Once on medication your viral load will begin to decrease. Ideally it will become undetectable within 3 months. This is what people who are positive are aiming for as it means that your HIV is under control. When undetectable it also means that you’ll no longer be able to transmit HIV when having sex.
hi dear my viral load is 22000 and cd4 402 any risk for this please advise thanks
Hi Thato,
The meds in Tribuss and Odimune are the same. They are just made by different companies. So your boyfriend’s treatment didn’t change. As he is taking treatment very well it is likely that his viral load test has been undetectable for a while. If this is the case the risk to you is zero. See this link for U=U (undetectable = untransmittable).
My boyfriend is HIV positive and I am HIV negative the condom busted and he came inside me.
He was on Tribuss but was changed to Odimune when visited the clinic for his fix. He is taking his treatment very well. Does this mean I’m also HIV positive
Hi Ncedy.
Your viral load is undetectable, so less than 50 copies. Therefore, you cannot transmit HIV when having sex without a condom. Please see Q’s 9 and 14 here:
http://i-base.info/qa/what-are-the-most-asked-questions
Hi! I found out that my cd4 is 1140 and viral load is 38, all along it was less than 20. Does it mean that the virus will be transmitted if having sex?