Question
How long have I lived with HIV?
13 September 2008. Related: All topics.
I am HIV-positive and do not know exactly when I was infected. When I was finally diagnosed the virus was well advanced and I was told I had a CD4 count of 21 and a very high viral load. A week later I was hospitalized with PCP. I’ve been on medication for three years now and my CD4 is 670 and viral load is undetectable. I was told I have had the virus about 10 years before finding out I was positive due to the progression of the virus. I was wondering have I been living with HIV for 13 years or for three years that I’ve known I’m positive and on medications.
I’ve read articles where people state how long they have lived with the virus. I was just curious how they count.
Answer
Usually people count the time they have lived with HIV from the point of infection onwards. Some people do not know when they were infected and they can give only an estimation.
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Hi, I was very interested to read your question, as my brother was in a very similar position. I am glad to see your CD4 has gone up so much and it gives me hope for my brother.
What is PCP by the way? My brother was admitted with Toxoplasmosis and prior to that he had no clue about his status.