Q and A

Question

How long can I live if I’m taking HIV treatment (ART)?

Can HIV kill when you have an undetectable viral load? I’m doing well on medication and how long can i live to the cure? Lastly, why cant I stop thinking about my HIV status – first thing in the morning and also just before I fall asleep?

Polio have been eradicated but why cant scientists do the same for HIV?

Answer

The quick answer is that with modern HIV drugs (called ART) your life expectancy is likely to be similar to if you were HIV negative. The earlier someone is diagnosed and start ART, the quicker any damage from HIV can be reversed.

For most people, HIV is easy to treat and easy to manage.  ART can give you a normal life expectancy and an excellent quality of life.

Hw long anyone will live depends on things you can change (smoking, exercise, medication) and thing you can’t (genetics and luck).  A study in Denmark (2005) estimated that the survival is more than 35 years for a young person diagnosed with HIV infection and another study in Canada (2003) report that in the US, life expectancy at age 20 years was an additional 58.3 years.

As long as your CD4 count stays above 200 cells/mm3, the risk of most HIV complications is pretty low. At higher CD4 levels – above 350, or 500, or 700 – the risk becomes lower still. Although some health problems are slightly higher in HIV positive people compared to HIV negative people, these risks are also often reduced by ART.

If you continue to take your medication as prescribed and do not miss or taking doses late, then the risk of HIV health problems in the future s very low. However, just as HIV negative people become ill, lifestyle changes to reduce these risks are important if you are HIV positive. For example, keeping mentally and physically active, eating a balanced diet, resting well, not smoking etc).

Having HIV might not always be easy though. The shock of being diagnosed sometimes takes a long time to come to terms with and at the moment you are still working on this. Already, I am sure you feel better than when you were first diagnosed and this will continue to become easier every year.

Most people worry about the impact of HIV on their life.  This could bewhy you think about your HIV status on a daily basis.  If this continues to be difficult perhaps get in touch with a local support group or ask about counselling. Talking about your HIV status can help you to deal with it and also through group support you can share experiences and also learn from one another.  You do not have to deal with it in isolation.

Finally, you asked about research into a cure. HIV is very complex in a way that is different to polio. Although currently there is no vaccine or cure, there is a lot of ongoing research.

HIV treatment is one of the successes of modern medicine. The breadth and expertise in scientific advances has not only developed 30 medications in five drug classes but this research has contributed to many other areas of medicine.

Even though curing HIV is difficult, there are lots of reasons to be optimistic.

This question was updated in January 2018 from an original answer posted in November 2011. (See: Question 10 at this link for more information).

545 comments

  1. +H.E.R

    Hi Kama

    I was 21 and pregnant when I was diagnosed back in 2008. Back then in South Africa the rules were a little different, we were only allowed to start ART when our CD4 count was under 250 (but now you start immediately when you are diagnosed). I was only put on ART in 2011 when my CD 4 had decreased to under 250. I have been on ART ever since and I have managed to keep my viral load undetectable for all these years. i have never had any complications or been sick except for the occasional flu which everybody gets regardless of their HIV status.

    You must understand that ART is lifelong. You need to keep taking your meds as prescribed in order for your body to keep fighting the virus so you can go about your life. There are a few lifestyle changes that you ight have to consider like someone else mentioned in the comments like, smoking, exercise, alcohol consumption etc.. but apart from that you should continue to live a productive healthy life while on ART just like HIV negative people.

    Seeing that you are still quite young if the time comes you are still able to have beautiful healthy HIV negative babies.My husband and I are both positive and we have 3 kids that are all negative, thanks to the doctors and nurses who supported and helped me through my pregnancies.

    Do not let HIV have control of your life. You are the same person you were before the diagnosis only now you have HIV which you are managing through ART.

    All the best for your new chapter.

  2. Roy Trevelion

    Hi Kama,

    Until there is a cure, HIV positive people will need to take ART. At the moment there isn’t a cure for HIV. But ART makes sure that HIV isn’t damaging your immune system. That’s why HIV positive people who are on ART can now have similar life expectancy to someone who is HIV negative.
    Here’s a guide to ART in Pictures. It explains HIV treatment, and the HIV cure puzzle.

  3. Kama

    Am 22 years and I have hiv how long will I stay on heart

  4. Roy Trevelion

    Hi Solomon,
    i-Base don’t have resources to answer questions on HIV risk and testing. Please see this link for all frequently asked questions about HIV transmission and testing.

  5. Solomon

    Hi there,

    I am Solomon.Before three weeks I have unprotected sex with a girl and now I feel fever the last 4 days in my body.due to this I m felling so depressed.I did not take any test ,do you think it is HIV in my body?

  6. Lisa Thorley

    Hi Angela,

    Firstly breath, calm down.. You’re going to be OK. HIV is no longer the health condition it used to be. With treatment its now very possible to live a normal, active and healthy life.

    You aren’t going to die. What’s important now is that you can talk to someone, (that is if you want to) and that you start medication. The medication will control your HIV. Please see here: http://i-base.info/guides/starting

    You may also find the following link helpful: http://i-base.info/hiv-positive/

  7. Angela

    10 days ago I got the results that I’m positive. I’m only 29. How long I can live I’m so scared. I can’t sleep. I’m imagining only death.

  8. Roy Trevelion

    Hi Alee,
    Please see this Q&A on different types of HIV tests.

  9. Alee

    Hi my name is saf
    Can you please tell me what does anti HIV 1&2 Elisa test means
    Is this 3rd generation test or 4th please guide me..
    I tested this after 6 weeks of exposure and I was HIV negative and I’m so worried whether this is 3rd generation test or 4th please tell me

  10. Roy Trevelion

    Hi Olivia,

    Testing positive can be a difficult time for everyone. But hey, slow down. Take time. It is going to be okay. It will probably take a while for the news to sink in. Some aspects of being HIV positive take time to come to terms with.

    Although finding out you are HIV positive is a shock, it will get easier. Modern HIV treatment (called ART) means that you can still do everything you planned before you found out you were positive. You can also have as long and as healthy a life as if you were HIV negative.

    There’s much more about just testing positive at this link. And there’s even more info in this Introduction to ART.

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