Do I need ARVs even when I feel fine?
Sep 21, 2008
TREATING HIV with ARVs is like mending a tear in a cloth. The earlier you start the process, the better the outcome. WHO now recommends that people with CD4 count of 350 and below should be on ARVs.
Face HIV with Dr. Watiti
Dear doctor,
Nine months ago, I went for voluntary counselling and testing when some people came for an HIV sensitisation campaign at my workplace and found out I was HIV positive. I went for a CD4 count and was told I should start taking ARVs because my CD4 count was 250 cells/ml. However, because I was not feeling sick, I never started taking the drugs. But I have been on Seprin and food supplements. Recently when I went for a repeat CD4 count, it was found to be 350 cells/ml. Do I need to be on ARVs when my CD4 count is going up without them?
Rose
Dear Rose,
TREATING HIV with ARVs is like mending a tear in a cloth. The earlier you start the process, the better the outcome. WHO now recommends that people with CD4 count of 350 and below should be on ARVs.
The recommended CD4 count of 200-250 cells/ml for resource limited countries to start giving ARVs was done because many of these countries, Uganda inclusive could not afford to treat all their people who were infected with HIV and needed ARVs.
For example, in Uganda of the 1.2 million people estimated to be infected with HIV, 350,000 ought to be on ARVs because their CD4 count is below 250 cells/ml but only 150,000 are currently receiving ARVs.
Many of the people who start ARVs late with CD4 count below 100 cells/ml do not have good quality of life on ART because often they have had serious opportunistic infections which may cause disabilities like blindness which is irreversible.
So you should start taking ARVs even if your CD4 count has gone up without using them and you are not feeling sick. It may be useful to do your viral load to find out how active HIV is in your body.
A high viral load means your immune system may start to deteriorate fast and you start having opportunistic infections. The saying: “Prevention is better than cureâ€, is especially true in HIV/AIDS care and treatment.
Opportunistic infections should be prevented by early diagnosis of HIV infection and treatment with ARVs for all who are infected and eligible for ART.
Dear doctor,
Nine months ago, I went for voluntary counselling and testing when some people came for an HIV sensitisation campaign at my workplace and found out I was HIV positive. I went for a CD4 count and was told I should start taking ARVs because my CD4 count was 250 cells/ml. However, because I was not feeling sick, I never started taking the drugs. But I have been on Seprin and food supplements. Recently when I went for a repeat CD4 count, it was found to be 350 cells/ml. Do I need to be on ARVs when my CD4 count is going up without them?
Rose
Dear Rose,
TREATING HIV with ARVs is like mending a tear in a cloth. The earlier you start the process, the better the outcome. WHO now recommends that people with CD4 count of 350 and below should be on ARVs.
The recommended CD4 count of 200-250 cells/ml for resource limited countries to start giving ARVs was done because many of these countries, Uganda inclusive could not afford to treat all their people who were infected with HIV and needed ARVs.
For example, in Uganda of the 1.2 million people estimated to be infected with HIV, 350,000 ought to be on ARVs because their CD4 count is below 250 cells/ml but only 150,000 are currently receiving ARVs.
Many of the people who start ARVs late with CD4 count below 100 cells/ml do not have good quality of life on ART because often they have had serious opportunistic infections which may cause disabilities like blindness which is irreversible.
So you should start taking ARVs even if your CD4 count has gone up without using them and you are not feeling sick. It may be useful to do your viral load to find out how active HIV is in your body.
A high viral load means your immune system may start to deteriorate fast and you start having opportunistic infections. The saying: “Prevention is better than cureâ€, is especially true in HIV/AIDS care and treatment.
Opportunistic infections should be prevented by early diagnosis of HIV infection and treatment with ARVs for all who are infected and eligible for ART.