HIV/AIDS can be fairly unpredictable. You may feel well but it is hard to tell from that just what the virus is up to. Having regular health check ups can give you an early warning about changes in your health, and give you more time to decide what to do about them.

It’s also important to monitor how you are responding to treatments so that you can respond quickly if, for example, you develop resistance to your drugs.

Most people with HIV/AIDS are monitored by general practitioners (GPs) with some experience in treating people with HIV.

You need to keep an eye on your viral load, CD4 counts, pap smear (women), sexually transmissible infections (PDF), your liver (if you also have hepatitis), your general health and your dental health.

To get the best picture, viral load test, CD4 counts and CD4 percentage results should be considered together. These results can be used to determine:

• the level of activity of the virus in your bloodstream;
• the level of damage to your immune system;
• when to start antiviral treatment;
• if the current antiviral treatments are working, and whether it may be necessary to change treatments; and
• when to take preventative medicines (prophylaxis) to decrease the chances of getting some of the more common opportunistic illnesses associated with AIDS.

It might be useful for you to keep a health diary or notebook in which you record test results, treatments, symptoms, reactions to medications and other things associated with your HIV monitoring. This can be a valuable tool for tracking changes in your health.

Information in this section is from HIV Tests and Treatments, AFAO, 4th edition, 2009, and AFAO Factsheets 2009.

Last reviewed 12 August 2011.

Useful Fact Sheets:

Viral load (PDF)

Undetectable viral load and risk of HIV transmission: the ‘Swiss Statement’ (PDF)

Common Blood Tests (PDF)

Sexual health checks (PDF)

The importance of giving up smoking for people with HIV (PDF)