A positive HIV test is the only required test for patients to start HAART. A positive rapid HIV test does not require confirmatory by a different test method. The rest of the patients' management is purely clinical (using WHO clinical staging) including monitoring treatment success or failure2. Patients with WHO stage 3 and 4 disease are recommended to start therapy immediately. Those in stages 1 and 2 are asked to come back later. In a few clinics, patients in WHO stages 1 and 2 are offered a CD4 count test. Patients with CD4 cell count < 350 cell/ml are eligible to start therapy following the WHO change in guidelines in 20103. clinician recommended that she should start ART. She was started on a combination of d4T, 3TC and nevirapine. .After one year on therapy, she noticed that her arms, thighs and buttocks were becoming slim and her back and stomach were protruding (see picture).A diagnosis of lipodystrophy was made, and the patient's treatment was changed to AZT/3TC/NVP. She took this regimen for 2 years (2007). In 2008, she developed anaemia thought to be secondary to AZT. As a result her treatment was changed to TDF/3TC/EFV. . She took this regimen faithfully till May 2011. At this time she had her first CD4 cell count and HIV RNA tests.The CD4 cell count was as >800 cell/mL and the HIV RNA was <400 copies/mL. On personal initiative, the patient visited South Africa and underwent a thorough medical examination in May 2011 including HIV testing. The HIV test using rapid tests was negative and a confirmatory Western blot was also negative. HIV RNA was undetectable.She was informed of the results and advised to stop HIV treatment and return in 3 months for repeat tests. The repeat tests were unchanged. It was concluded that this lady was never HIV positive.
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