HIV Viral Load

Related tests: CD4 count

The Test Sample

What is being tested?

This test measures the amount of HIV in your blood. There is still concern that there is a lot of virus in other places in the body, not just the blood - only 2% of HIV is circulating in the blood, the rest is in the lymph system and other body tissue . Early results indicate that changes in viral load in the blood are mirrored in the lymph system, but research is ongoing. "Viral load" means the number of HIV particles or copies of the virus present in the blood.

How is the sample collected for testing?

A blood sample is taken by needle from a vein in your arm.

NOTE: If undergoing medical tests makes you or someone you care for anxious, embarrassed, or even difficult to manage, you might consider reading one or more of the following articles: Coping with Test Pain, Discomfort, and Anxiety, Tips on Blood Testing, Tips to Help Children through Their Medical Tests, and Tips to Help the Elderly through Their Medical Tests.

Another article, Follow That Sample, provides a glimpse at the collection and processing of a blood sample and throat culture.

If you don't know what a word or a medical term means, try the Mondofacto Online Medical Dictionary .