Clinical Importance
-Viral Load
-Monitoring Treatment
-When To Get Tested
-References

Getting Tested

Slide Rule

Disease Progression

There are several stages of HIV infection that can be identified by clinical, immunological (eg, CD4 cell counts) and viral (eg, viral load) measurements.

The different stages of HIV infection can be explained using a model of a "kitchen sink" where the water flowing from an open tap represents virus production and the drain represents the immune system’s clearance of the virus. The level of the water in the sink is dependent on the relationship between these two actions and is representative of viral load in the body.