Undetectable!

As I mentioned the other day, I got a CD4 Count of 675 on my last labs. Now, I have the other result we were waiting for....an UNDETECTABLE viral load! Woohoo! This is such great news, and it is such a relief to reach this landmark. It took me 4.5 months on treatment to do this... starting at the maximum viral load (>10 million) and now ending at the minimum (undetectable or <50)!

* A bit of information about "Undetectable": Having an undetectable viral load means that the level/amount of virus in your blood sample is so low that it falls under the measurable range. This does not mean that you are cured of HIV. Nor does it mean that you have "0" virus in your blood or other fluids. It simply means that your body is in good controlof the virus, and the amount of virus has been significantly reduced. Because you have less of the virus in you, you may not be as infectious as you would be with a higher viral load. However, even with an undetectable viral load, a HIV+ person may still pass the virus to others. The goal of treatment for all HIV+ people is to decrease the viral load and hopefully get it to an undetectable level. Most of the medicines today do a great job of accomplishing this, and most HIV+ people can reach this goal. Once the viral load is undetectable, it also gives your body's immune system a chance to improve, and your CD4 count to go up. *

This is not only good news for my health, but both of these results now put me at the level which Peace Corps has set for any HIV+ volunteer to be considered. Now I need to hold these numbers steady for multiple months to prove that I am in stable health. Peace Corps Medical Office, start counting...