ART medication

When you start ART medication as early as possible HIV virus is able to be suppressed and which makes your immune system to be strong and is able to fight opportunistic infection BUT when you don’t start ART medication as early as possible the virus in the body wins the CD4 in the body which makes the immune system in the body weak which allow any disease or opportunistic infection to attack you which we said you are in AIDS stage

Importance of viral suppression

Prevent HIV disease progression

Prevent development of drug resistant

Prevent sexual transmission of HIV

Minimize Aids related death

Greatly reduced HIV incidence

High viral load that within 3-6month of a good adherence in medication –there should be very low viral load or undetectable.

Note that; effective treatment =reduction in viral load Indication of the increase in viral load

Treatment is not working because one is not taking medicine as directed by the doctor HIV in the body has developed resistance to your medication

Effective treatment should reduce viral load within 3-6 months

Being undetectable means your viral load, the amount of HIV in your blood is so low that a test can’t detect it