#AskTheHIVDoc

Dr. Demetre explains how with medication someone with HIV can suppress the virus and lower risk of infection.

#AskTheHIVDoc is a video series from Greater Than HIV where top HIV doctors give frank, no-nonsense responses to commonly asked questions from gay men about a range of sexual health topics, including personal risk, PrEP and other prevention tools, testing, and treatment. For more information, visit: http://greaterthan.org/speakout.

These videos are provided for educational purposes and not a substitute for professional medical advice. Always consult your healthcare provider before making any healthcare decisions or for guidance about a specific medical condition.

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TRANSCRIPT:
Dr. Demetre: How does someone with HIV know they’re undetectable and can it change?
Dr. Demetre: You have some questions? We know HIV.
Dr. David: I’m a doctor. I’m trained for this.
Dr. Leandro: We’re gonna give you what you need.
Dr. Demetre: When you go see the doctor, they draw blood work, the blood work looks for your viral load and sometimes for other labs, and then also your CD4 count. Viral load is the way that we monitor if people’s meds are working. They draw your blood, they send it to the lab, and they look for virus. They also find out what your CD4 count is. The higher the CD4 count the better. The lower the viral load the better. That doesn’t mean it’s not in your body, it just means that you’re doing a really good job of keeping your viral load suppressed. Suppressed means it’s so low that the lab test cannot detect it. That means you’re undetectable. So again, it can change. And what changes? Well, if people aren’t taking their meds, if they skip doses, if they’re missing a lot of doses, if they’ve lost insurance and can’t get their medicine, then their undetectable status can change. Can they become undetectable again? Absolutely! You stay connected to care, you work with your HIV doctor, and they figure out a regimen that works better for you. And, you’ll be undetectable again.