Question
How long can someone live with HIV?
2 January 2018. Related: All topics, Life expectancy.
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..
I’m HIV positive and I’m pregnant. What are the risks I’m I going to face since I’m not on medication. I’m 20 years.
Hi Tanish,
Its good to hear that you’re concerned about your staff member. If this is a new diagnoses, its important that he gets some support and that people are understanding.
Firstly, if your friend isn’t on treatment, its important that he starts. Being on treatment will help control his health. Its being on treatment that will allow him to have a similar live expectancy to what he would have had, had he not contracted HIV. There’s move about this is the above post.
HIV cannot be transmitted through sharing food. And unless he’s ill, there’s no reason why he can’t work. People with HIV are no different to people who are negative unless they are ill. Which most aren’t.
As of yet there is no cure for HIV. ART however is excellent.
A member of my staff has HIV. His age is 32-33. My concern is, how many years does he have? And is he Ok to keep working? Our job requires lot of work in extreme weathers and at night time.
Can he infect other staff as we all eat food together. Is there a cure? We’re concerned about him.
Hi Eugene,
If you read the posts in this feed, you’ll see that no one can answer that question. That’s because no one can predict how long a person will live for. However, if you’re on medication and your HIV is stable then your life expectancy will be similar, if not the same as to what it would have been had you not become positive.
Hi there I am HIV positive and I did get it when I was 35 years old I just want to know how long do I have to live?
Hi Amanda,
Are you still injecting drugs? If you are what, and how often?
Are you on ARVs? If you are, how long have you been on them for?
If you’re asking how long will you live if you stop ARVs, I can’t answer this. But this is what will happen if you stop ARVs, see Q2:
https://i-base.info/qa/what-are-the-most-asked-questions
If you’re asking how long you’ll live if you stop injecting drugs, (that is if you’re still injecting) no one can answer this. But if you’re on ARVs, then your life expectancy should be close to what it would have been had you not have contracted HIV. This is because ARVs work, and work very well. They allow people to live normal healthy lives.
I am 17 years old and was infected with HIV when I am 16 through injection. I have hepatitis C as well. How long will I live, if I stopped using drugs?
Hi Siya,
People get sick when their CD4’s begin to fall, not when they have a CD4 of 600. To make sure that your CD4 stays healthy, its important that you use ARVs.
A 30 years old man, none smoking, no drinking alcohol , HIV positive but CD4 is above 600, what are the chances of getting sick?
Hi Sbeila,
Though side effects are common when first starting meds, not everyone has them.
Therefore, its great to hear that you’ve not had any side effects, this is a good thing.