Health checks for HIV

To protect your immune system and maintain your health and wellbeing, it is recommended that you have regular medical monitoring. This will measure the health of your immune system and show when it is the best time to start HIV treatment. Once you are on treatment, these checks will show how well the treatment is working and whether you may need to change treatment.

You can play a role in your health care by regularly attending your clinic appointments and thinking about what is working well for you and what is not working well, in advance of the appointment. This way your concerns will be raised and dealt with. It might be a good idea to note down any questions you have between appointments, so you remember to ask them at your next appointment.

The most important blood tests in monitoring HIV are CD4 cell counts (to measure the strength of your immune system) and HIV viral load tests (to measure the levels of virus in the blood). See NAM’s booklet CD4, viral load and other tests for more information.

Your CD4 cell count may go up or down with your menstrual cycle. The oral contraceptive pill may lower your CD4 cell count, but not to such an extent that your health could be at risk. Pregnancy can lower your CD4 cell count too; this is due to the effect of having a larger blood volume in your body while you are pregnant. After the baby is born, the CD4 count usually goes back to the same level as before.