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Monitoring Treatment
It is important to realize that HIV treatment is an ongoing process. After you and your healthcare provider have decided on a treatment option that is right for you, the next important step in the process is to monitor the success of your treatment.
Your healthcare provider can monitor your treatment through a simple blood test that monitors your viral load and CD4 cell count
What Does Success Look Like?Every few months your healthcare provider will take blood and send it out to a lab to monitor changes in your CD4 cell count and viral load. You and your healthcare provider will know that your treatment is working if the amount of HIV in your body (viral load) is low and the amount of cells in your blood fighting off infection (CD4 cell count) is high. Be sure to partner with your healthcare provider to strike the right balance with your HIV treatment. Striking the Right Balance With Your HIV Treatment
Viral LoadViral load is a measurement of the amount of HIV that is found in your blood. The lower your viral load, the more effective the treatment. The ultimate goal of HIV therapy is to reduce your viral load to an undetectable level, around 50 to 400. An undetectable viral load means you are less likely to become sick from HIV, and it is less likely that your medicines will stop working. However, even if you have an undetectable viral load, it is important to realize that you still have HIV and can infect others. Remember, there is no cure for HIV. Once you test positive, it is important to have a viral load test every 3 months to monitor your disease Achieving an undetectable viral load is not possible for everyone. If you are one of those people, an effective treatment program should at least reduce your viral load. The higher your viral load the more likely you are to become sick, and it is also more likely that your medicines may not be effective. If this does happen, you and your healthcare provider should discuss switching treatment. CD4 Cell CountA CD4 cell or T cell is a type of blood cell that fights germs. HIV destroys CD4 cells. The destruction of CD4 cells by HIV weakens your immune system, making your body less capable of fighting off infection. The following image is a guide to help you understand what your CD4 cell count means to your health: CD4 Cell Counts and What They Mean
Once you test positive, you should have a CD4 cell count done every 3 to 6 months to monitor the health of your immune system |
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