hello

I just read about the couple with shingles, my question is,

is it possible to get hiv related shingles 1 year after a possible exposure? doesnt the cd4 count have to be below a certain level before any oi's transpire?

I also had a mild bout of shingles, it only lasted 10days and i have no side effects, pain etc, the lesions have healed up completely, isnt this a sign of a healthy immune system?

Thanks Doc.

Since HIV- people with normal immune systems can get shingles, there is no specific threshhold T cell count that means you are or aren't at risk for it, although most HIV+s with shingles have fewer than 350 T helper cells. The natural history of shingles is that they clear up and go away, and this can happen even when your immune system is damaged.