hi! i've been positive for about two years now, and i've been taking Atripla since August, with great results! my cd4 count is up to 700 and my viral unload is now undetectable. but my question is, what does that mean, 'undetecable'?

thanks so much!! -jpb

Hi jpb,

You've been positive for two years and your HIV doctor hasn't explained what an "undetectable" viral load means?

HIV plasma viral load tests measure the amount of HIV in blood. These tests measure copies of HIV in a single drop of blood. However, like many blood tests, HIV viral load tests have limits on the highest and lowest values they can accurately measure. An "undetectable" HIV plasma viral load result means the amount of HIV in the blood was so low that it was below the level of sensitivity of the test. Since the test couldn't measure it, we refer to that result as an "undetectable" level. It does not mean there is no HIV present, but rather that the amount of HIV is below the level of detection of the test.

You can read much more about tests used to monitor HIV infection in the archives.

Good luck.

Dr. Bob