Important note: Information in this article was accurate in 2005. The state of the art may have changed since the publication date.Dear doctor,
How long someone will need start treatment since the initial infection?
People talk about several criteria which indicate a treatment shall be taken, is that means at first a few years there's no need for treatemt at all?
Thank you very much for all your effort for this site.
The time from infection to the need for treatment is quite variable. HIV disease progression is generally slow, and with no treatment at all, the usual course is 5-7 years from the time of infection to presentation of symptoms.
The current guidelines suggest treatment for most patients when T cells fall to around 300 cells / µl from a "normal" value of 800-1200 cells /µl. Usually, this decline requires several years. Some consideration is given to the viral load at the time of diagnosis, to the patient's general health, and desire to start treatment. An occasional patient will go many years, perhaps 10 years or more before reaching this threshold, yet on the other hand, there are patients who will progress at a much faster rate and require treatment in a couple of years.
In general, for the first few years following a positive HIV antibody test, treatment will not be required. If a patient awaits medical complications to make a diagnosis, they will almost certainly require treatment from day one, and they will probably respond less well to therapy.
I hope this helps,
JB
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