What if my viral load goes up?

Say this scenario happens, you go into your medical provider’s office and you were undetectable before, and now your viral load is creeping back up. Now it may be because the medication is not working anymore. It may be because the virus became what we call resistant to the medication that you’re on, or it may be that you just stop taking them as consistently as you’re supposed to. And so it just stopped working as well as it’s supposed to. The main thing is, is that you should never feel bad, you’re human.
With HIV treatment it’s not a one size fits all equation so everybody’s body works a little bit differently. And so no one medication regimen is best for everyone. Work with your provider to figure out what a new regimen would be able to work for you at that point going forward.

Dr. David Malebranche, MD, MPH, a clinician-researcher specializing in HIV, gives the lowdown on all things HIV care and treatment in the latest installment of the #AskTheHIVDoc video series.

 

#AskTheHIVDoc is a video series from Greater Than HIV featuring top HIV doctors providing answers to commonly-asked questions about HIV prevention, testing and treatment.

This information is shared for educational purposes only and should not be used as a substitute for professional medical advice. The views expressed are those of the featured medical professional and reflect information available to that professional at time of filming. Always consult a health care provider for any personal health decision.

While we make every effort to keep the medical information on our website updated, we cannot guarantee that the information reflects the most up-to-date research. Also, please note the views expressed by individuals who appear in Greater Than HIV videos and other content are their own and are not made on behalf of any groups/organizations/associations.

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