Important note: Information in this article was accurate in 2005. The state of the art may have changed since the publication date. Hi there! As a newly infected male I want to know some information if you dont mind...
I have a viral load of 45000. and a T-cell count of 624 -- how long till I have to start treatment? How long do you live on treatment? What is the life expectancy of a person with this level of load and T-cell count? What happens when I start treatment?
Plz write back and give me all information honestly -- Thanks!
Hey guy,
I've been living with this for at least 16 years, and have never seen T-cells of 624......my highest is around 550.
Your viral load is moderate, but not alarming, and your T-cell number is nearly in normal range. There is no way to say exactly when you might need to start anti-retroviral medicines. You will find that your T-cell numbers vary a bit from visit to visit. They could go up to 800 next time, or down to 500. Follow trends, not individual measurements.
People live indefinitely on treatment. There is no time limit, and we may well see the current generation of HIV positive people live to die of other diseases at a ripe old age. I think the safest plan is for you to assume that you need to keep a good job and plan to have money saved for retirement.
Treatment is not bad, really. There are medications that cause some side effects, but they are usually manageable and even avoidable these days. Cross that bridge when you come to it; I suspect it is a few years away.
I would ask you to remember that as an HIV positive man who is not getting medications yet, that your relatively high viral load makes you highly infectious to any sex partners. One good thing you can do for yourself is to learn how to have safer sex ALL the time, especially with those of unknown status. You have it in your power to stop the spread of this disease to your partners, and theirs......
Good luck, and please, take care of yourself!
050401
ASKD050401
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