HIV Disease and AIDS
You and Your Anti-HIV Therapy
Track Your Progress
Viral Load
Viral load
is a measurement of the amount of HIV in your blood. If you were to think of HIV disease as a train, the viral load would tell you how fast the train was moving. By analyzing a sample of your blood, your doctor can tell how far your HIV disease has progressed and how well your anti-HIV drugs are working. A lower viral load is better than a higher viral load.
CD4 Cell Counts
Doctors also check your blood to measure the number of infection-fighting CD4 cells. Returning to the example of HIV disease as a train, CD4 cell counts would tell you in which direction the train was moving. The higher your CD4 cell count, the more effectively your body is fighting the disease and the stronger it is in fighting off other illnesses and infections.
The more you know, the stronger you'll be
After each appointment, ask your doctor to give you your viral load reading and your CD4 count.
Use this chart to track the progress of the disease and your battle against it.
