Blood work:
Two common tests to use for
monitoring HIV disease

January 2008     View PDF     En español

Viral load tests

Viral load tests measure the amount of HIV in about a teaspoon of blood. The genetic material that the test measures is called HIV RNA. Testing viral load is important for monitoring HIV disease and how well therapy is working. When HIV levels decrease, it’s a sign that potent anti-HIV therapy is working. When HIV levels increase, it’s often a sign that a regimen is no longer working. In this case, CD4 cell counts also will likely fall and disease progression will likely increase. Changes in viral load usually happen more rapidly than changes in CD4 cell counts.