Viral Load Tests ·
Viral load is the amount of HIV in the blood. This is detected by a simple blood test. Viral load tests estimate the number of HIV particles circulating in the liquid, or plasma, part of the blood.
Over time, the higher your viral load rises, the faster your CD4 cell count will drop, increasing your risk of moving towards the stage when you could develop AIDS-defining illnesses.
However, a high viral load is not necessarily a good guide to whether you are at risk of AIDS right now – your CD4 count is a better indicator of this.
The other way viral load tests are used is to see if therapy is working. A persistently detectable viral load, especially if it’s increasing, is usually the first sign that it’s not.
The result of a viral load test is described as the number of copies of HIV RNA per millilitre, but your doctor is likely to describe your viral load using just the number.
Comment
Previous article: CD4 Counts Next article: Viral Load Tests: What they mean
