Living with HIV in the Philippines: Email 708: AIDS and the Viral Load

good day sir!

ask ko lang po pg ang tao ay full blown na po-AIDS na gaano po ba karami ang virus n nsa body nya? ung karaniwan po na dami pg may AIDS TAO..TY PO!

R

TRANSLATION

Good day sir.

I would like to ask the regular viral load of people with AIDS. Thank you.

R

POZZIEPINOY’S RESPONSE

Hi R.

Thank you for your question.

There is no specific viral load level for people who are diagnosed with AIDS. I, for one was diagnosed with HIV Stage IV (AIDS), and the diagnosis remains up to now and yet my VL is undetectable. When my HIV diagnosis was at AIDS level, my VL was around 117,000 copies, not pretty high as compared to others that reached to millions. However, there are also PLHIV who are diagnosed with AIDS who have high VL. Also during the initial HIV infection, the viral load is tremendously high but that doesn't signify AIDS.

If you are thinking that the VL is the basis for the diagnosis of AIDS level, it is not. In both the WHO and CDC classifications (see: CDC and WHO Classification of HIV & AIDS), both the CD4 count and the presence of AIDS related opportunistic serve as the basis for diagnosis of the stage of AIDS. However, VL serves as the gauge for the progression of HIV and the measure of the effectiveness of antiretroviral therapy.

I hope I was able to answer your concerns. Feel free to email me again if you have other questions.

Stay healthy,

Pozziepinoy