Viral Load Tests - Importance and Interpretation
Viral Load Tests FAQ
What is a viral load test?
Your viral load gives you an idea of how much of the HIV virus is in your body. The test measures the number of HIV copies in a milliliter of blood. Your test results help your doctor follow what's happening with your infection, how well your treatment is working, and guide treatment choices.
What tests are used to measure viral load?
Viral load measurements can differ daily, and therefore long-term trends are used to evaluate disease progression. There are three main tests used to measure viral load. These are reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) tests, branched DNA (bDNA) tests, and nucleic acid sequence-based amplification (NASBA) tests.
When is an HIV viral load test used?
An HIV viral load test is mainly used after you're diagnosed with HIV to: HIV viral load testing is also used to test newborn babies when they are born to a person who has HIV. That's because HIV can be passed to a baby during pregnancy, childbirth, and through breast milk. In certain cases, an HIV viral load test may be used to diagnose HIV.
What is viral load?
The viral load test measures the amount of HIV in your blood. It is the preferred way to know if antiretroviral therapy (ART) is working. The test measures the number of HIV copies in one milliliter of blood.
Viral Load Tests References
If you want to know more about Viral Load Tests, consider exploring links below:
What Is Viral Load Tests
- https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/323851
- https://www.webmd.com/hiv-aids/hiv-viral-load-what-you-need-to-know
- https://www.healthline.com/health/hiv-aids/cd4-viral-count
- https://www.austrahealth.com.au/hiv-viral-load.html
- https://www.iapac.org/fact-sheet/viral-load/
- https://www.news-medical.net/health/What-is-Viral-Load.aspx
- https://unitaid.org/assets/factsheet-HIV-Viral-Load_2016-EN-2.pdf
Viral Load Tests Information
- https://www.thewellproject.org/hiv-information/understanding-lab-tests-ii-viral-load-resistance-and-tropism
- https://www.hivtnt.org.au/tests/
- https://hivmanagement.ashm.org.au/virological-tests/hiv-quantification/
- https://medlineplus.gov/lab-tests/hiv-viral-load/
- https://hivinfo.nih.gov/sites/default/files/infographics/PDF/hiv-lab-results_en.pdf
- https://www.aidsmap.com/about-hiv/viral-load