What Is Meant By Viral Load

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Viral Load Tests

What Is Viral Load? How Is the Test Used? How Are Changes in Viral Load Measured? Viral Load "Blips" What Do the Numbers Mean? Are There Problems With the Viral Load Test? What Is Viral Load? The viral load test measures the amount of HIV virus in your blood. There are different techniques for doing this: The PCR ( p olymerase c hain r eaction) method uses an enzyme to multiply the HIV in the blood sample. Then a...

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Low CD4, Low Viral Load

I recently had to start meds, but I was a little confused on my lab results. I have always heard that as HIV progresses your CD4 goes down while the viral load goes up. However, I have had the problem of my CD4 decreasing, while my viral load has...

Response from Mark Holodniy, M.D., F.A.C.P., C.I.C.

Stanford University, School of Medicine

Although you had a low level of viral load (and therefore replication) it appears that this virus was able to significantly destroy your CD4 cells. It is not always the case that your viral load has to be really high in order for this to occur.... Read more »

drop in cd4 count & increased viral load

Nov 10, 2012(re) My sister(49) had a needle prick accident at work (end 2011) & tested positive within 3 weeks - her cd4 count & viral load has been very good but suddenly her cd4 has halved & her viral load has increased - she is also...

Response from Mark Holodniy, M.D., F.A.C.P., C.I.C.

Stanford University, School of Medicine

It would be helpful to know what is meant by "substantially higher" viral load. Having all the CD4 counts, CD4 percents, and viral load results, will help establish whether there is a significant decline in CD4 count or not, and whether... Read more »

Low Viral Load, Impossible to Transmit?

Someone we know has married an HIV+ person. His attitude towards HIV is very concerning for our family. He point blank, word for word said that it was IMPOSSIBLE to get HIV from HIM because his HIV is not contagious since his T Cells are low. (I...

Response from Robert J. Frascino, M.D.

The Robert James Frascino AIDS Foundation

HIV, even with an undetectable viral load, is potentially transmissible. For instance, his blood-to-blood scenario would definitely be extremely risky! However, without very specific circumstances blood-to-blood, unprotected sex, sharing... Read more »

Influencing Viral Load

I was tested positive a year ago. My Viral Load has stayed relatively high @100,000 and this seems to have meant that my CD4 count keeps on dropping and will continue to drop.In your opinion is there anything I can do to reduce the impact of the...

Response from David Wohl, M.D.

University of North Carolina - Chapel Hill

The natural history of HIV infection is what you are experiencing. The CD4 cell count declines at a rate that is proportional to your viral load (the higher the viral load, the faster the drop in CD4 cells). There are certainly things that people... Read more »

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what does this meant

Posted by nomoreworry4me, 1 Reply

CD4 668 - Viral Load 227567 ? about viral load

Posted by Courtkidx, 1 Reply

I just got these results via phone and im just curious if anyone can tell me if I should be worried about my semi high viral load? I know my cd4 count is good. I am newly diagnosed as of dec. 30, 2009. Any info would be appreciated. Read more »

viral load

Posted by Anonymous, 1 Reply

Does the viral load go up after exposure or during ARS ?
And then does it go back down after 6 months? Read more »

cd4 or viral load

Posted by Lilly, 2 Replies

When starting to think about treatment, does either counts (cd4s or viral load) play a bigger role? My viral load has recently dropped, but so has my cd4's. My counts are all still at a comfortable level for me with no meds, but at the clinic... Read more »

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