Reasons Your Viral Load Might Become Detectable (or Won’t)

The goal of HIV medicine is to get the levels of the virus so low in the bloodstream that it won’t show up on a blood test. That’s called viral suppression or undetectable. When you reach that goal, you can’t spread the virus to someone else through sex. Here are some reasons that it might become detectable again.

The sooner you start treatment, the sooner you can get your virus to undetectable levels. When you wait to start medication, the virus can damage your immune system. You also run the risk of passing the virus to others, getting sick, and progressing to AIDS.

Even missing your medication occasionally gives the virus time to multiply and weaken your immune system. Make your treatment schedule a priority and stick to it.

During a gap in treatment, the virus has a chance to change, or mutate. The mutated cells may not respond to your medicine the same way they did before. Then they can multiply and make your viral load detectable again.

If you get conditions such as kidney disease or hepatitis, or if you get pregnant, your body may process your HIV medicine differently than it did before. Your doctor will need to check your dose and type of treatment to be sure it’s still keeping things under control.

It’s common for HIV drugs to affect how your other medicines work, and vice versa. Be sure your doctor knows all the prescription and over-the-counter medications you take, including supplements, so they can make sure everybody plays well together.

Pay close attention to whether your HIV pills should be taken with food or on an empty stomach. A full stomach or an empty one can affect how your body absorbs certain medicines and either increase or decrease the concentration.

Your doctor tailors your HIV treatment specifically to you. Be sure you’re following it exactly as planned. Ask your doctor to write down what time of day you should take it, how much to take, and what (or what not) to take it with.

Nausea, fatigue, and sleep troubles are some of the side effects that can come along with HIV drugs during the first few weeks. Your doctor can help you manage these. Longer-term effects, such as high cholesterol, or severe effects, like swelling in your mouth or tongue, may mean you need to switch to a different medication.

Regular checkups help your doctor keep tabs on your viral load so that you know your treatment is working well. Your doctor can also help you troubleshoot any problems that might keep you from sticking to your treatment plan.