I know you've answered questions like this before but I'm having a really hard time trying to decide whether to do the antiretrovirals or not as a newly infected person, 3 months out. My viral load is around 2500 and I know I'm in this sort of grey area. My question is this. Would it be benenficial to get a biobsy of a lymph gland to see whether the virus has gone that far yet while trying to make my decision? And also if I do go on the drugs should I be worried about AZT's effect on blood count levels and the mitachondria? Are there good combinations of only retrovirals that don't include AZT? I know your time is precious, so I thank you for any input you could give me.

We are all in a gray area here. One question is whether when you say newly infected you are sure of the date you actually were infected, and whether it was in the last 8-10 weeks. If you are really in that acute infection window, there is a good argument for starting. If you have been infected for more than 4 months, your CD4s are normal, and your viral load is only 2500, there is a good argument for waiting. By waiting, you can wait a few months until you have really done your homework and are ready to make a more calm and expert decision, or wait a few years, and see if your T cells start to fall and if your VL stays low.

The time to start is only when you are ready. If you find that you are not sure, wait. If you know you are ready and you want to be doing something, then it may be time.

Hang in there.

ATP