What do CD4 count and viral load mean?
CD4 cells are part of the immune system. They help fight off infections. A normal CD4 count ranges from 400 to 1200, depending on the person. The viral load (“HIV PCR” “HIV load”) measures the amount of HIV in your blood. The higher the viral load, the more HIV there is in your body, and the faster you are likely to get sick. Viral load can range from undetectable to 1 to 2 million. Undetectable does not mean that there is no HIV in your body, but rather that the amount is very small. People with undetectable viral loads still have HIV, and they can still pass the virus to other people.
