 | ||
   | ||
Email
Glossary |
|
Does an undetectable viral load make you antibody negative?Sep 27, 1999 If a HIV+ person using HAART and successfully get undetectable viral load for a long period (years) will he/she normally also turn negative on a standard antibody HIV test or will such a test be positive forever no matter the viral load. (Even if the person should turn negative this is naturally not the same as the person is free from the virus. If I understand it right even the ultra sensitive viral load test can not detect extremely small amount of virus, and the HIV virus can probably hide inside some cells for years and years. ) |
||||||||
 |
||||||||||
|
||||||||||
 |
| Response from Mr. Sowadsky Thank you for your question. Regardless of a persons viral load, the HIV antibody tests will still remain positive. So even if a persons viral load is "below detectable levels", they will continue to show positive on the HIV antibody tests. In addition, if a persons viral load is "below detectable levels", they are still infected with HIV, and can still potentially infect others with the virus. An undetectable viral load merely means that the levels of HIV in the blood are very low (which is clinically good news for the patient). If you have any further questions, please feel free to call the Centers for Disease Control at 1.800.232.4636 (Nationwide). | ||||||||
 Get Email Notifications When This Forum Updates or Subscribe With RSS
|
||||||||||
|
||||||||||
Q&A TERMS OF USE
This forum is designed for educational purposes only, and experts are not rendering medical, mental health, legal or other professional advice or services. If you have or suspect you may have a medical, mental health, legal or other problem that requires advice, consult your own caregiver, attorney or other qualified professional.
Experts appearing on this page are independent and are solely responsible for editing and fact-checking their material. Neither TheBody.com nor any advertiser is the publisher or speaker of posted visitors' questions or the experts' material.
Review our complete terms of use and copyright notice.
