Q and A

Question

How long can someone live with HIV?

How long can a man live with HIV if he was around 18 years old and was healthy when he was infected, both with and without medication?

Answer

Modern HIV drugs mean that life expectancy is now similar for HIV positive people to the general population.

This is based on being diagnosed early and having access to treatment.

The wide range of factors related to life expectancy include: where you live, your income, access to health care, lifestyle (alcohol, drugs, tobacco, exercise and diet) and other infections like hepatitis, genetics and chance – good or bad luck.

Several large studies have been published showing that life expectancy for HIV positive people is very good, and near to an HIV negative person.

Without treatment, HIV will slowly progress in nearly everyone. This speed that HIV progresses varies from a few years to more than 20 years.

Note: this answer was updated in January 2018 from a question posted in August 2008..

273 comments

  1. rajan

    Hi dear. What is Haart? I am hit positive and from Nepal. There is no Haart here. Where can i buy this medicine and how much does it costs? is Haart is better than ART?

  2. Simon Collins

    Hi. It is very unlikely you caught HIV from one broken condom. Also, HIV symptoms occur after about two weeks rather than two months if this is an infection. If testing is difficult in Saudi Arabia, then test when you get back to Nepal.

  3. rosan

    Hi i am from Nepal. In august last i have sex with condom but condom broke or what i dont know after 2 months i feel my body is heat like fever more than 50 days but i din not feel tired until now. finally fever gone away but still my leg muscle is paining and my skin will be red if i scratch. i am too much scared about hiv. if i got hiv there is no good treatment in nepal. i am still unmarried.i am in saudi arabia now. i cant check my blood here. If i got HIV police will catch me. so i am going back Nepal in January. If i am positive can i marry? can i have baby without infected my wife?

  4. Simon Collins

    Hi Siva

    This question is already answered above. HIV treatment is very effective and if it is used correctly can enable people to live long and healthy lives.

  5. siva

    how long can i live i am hiv posative and not taking any medecine.

  6. Simon Collins

    Hi Hari

    The same drugs you are using are used by a lot of people in the UK. This is still one of the most widely used combinations, especially when people start treatment.

    I cannot say whether your symptoms are side effects or other health problems. This is something to talk to your doctor about.

    I two CD4 counts you had are not really different. A doctor would see these as being the same and even though one is a bit lower, it does not mean anything.

    You could ask for another CD4 count to see whether this has gone up again yet. If your symptoms are due to side effects, then there are other HIV drugs in India that you could use.

  7. hari

    sir,

    I am using Teevir (manufactured by Mylan). This contains: tenofovir disoproxil fumarate IP 300mg, emtricitabine IP 200mg, and efavirenz IP 600mg. I started on august 18th, which was 10 days after i got fever and body rash. The doctor stopped the medicine after one week and the rash reduced and after one week started the same drug again till now.

    My problem is that I sometimes get neck pain with headache and burning eyes. In the last four months i got fever twice and also if any rub in my body I get a rash.

    Recently check my CD4 count droped from 305 to 270. On 14 December, the doctor says please wait upto 6 months check your viral load after that decide drug change or continue this drug.

    Is this drug working or not? Kindly please tell me any test for suitable medicine?

  8. Rebecca McDowall

    Hi Hemant,
    I’m very sorry to hear about your recent diagnosis- do you have anybody who you can talk to about this?

    HIV treatment – antiretrovirals (ARVs)- is very effective. With ARVs HIV positive people can live long and healthy lives and have a similar life expectancy to HIV negative people. The most important factor is getting treatment when you need it. Your doctor should take a blood sample to check your CD4 count- this will tell you if you need to start treatment yet. There is more information about CD4 counts and treatment here. There is also research looking for a cure, although it is likely to be at least 10 years and maybe much longer before this is achieved.

  9. Hemant

    hiii,
    my self hemant. i’m from India. today I just got tested hiv positive.i’m only 23 year. i want to ask you how many year i can live & there is any Hope to improve in Medicine(AVT) Or any Hope For Cure of HIV in Future.
    & what’s are the Factor’s that effect the life expectancy with HIV.
    (Kindly Please give me Reply i’m very Worried About This)

  10. Rebecca McDowall

    Hi Sam,
    Talking you your partner about HIV can be very difficult and it is normal to be worried about this. THT, a UK charity, has a page about this. Have a look there and then please let me know if you have any questions.

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