• Your CD4 cell count gives an impression of the health of your immune system.

• Monitoring your CD4 cell count can help you and your doctor decide when you need to start HIV treatment.

• Viral load is the term used to describe the amount of HIV in your blood.

• CD4 cell counts and viral load can vary naturally - you should look at trends, not single results.

• The aim of anti-HIV treatment for people who have never taken HIV drugs before is a viral load below 50 copies, this is usually called an undetectable viral load.

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