Question
When will there be a cure for HIV?
18 September 2014. Related: All topics, Cure, Living with HIV long-term.
Hello,
Thanks for your answer to my previous question.
I have managed to convince my girlfriend who tested HIV positive not to commit suicide. I told her to take medications for the next few years.
I told her that i was convinced that there would be a cure in the next few years. Are my hopes justified?
In your opinion how long do you think it would take to find a cure if any?
What websites give such information?
Answer
Learning that you have HIV can be tough. But while coming to term with this it should help to know that current treatment means that most people can lead long, normal, lives.
We can do the same things we did in life before we had HIV. This includes sport, work, getting married and having children. Some people even say that finding out they were HIV positive meant that they valued life more than they did before.
Some people make changes in their lives for the better, in ways they might not have done otherwise. Life may be slightly more complicated with HIV, but access to good treatment allows all these things.
When someone is first diagnosed they may not have information, or they may not believe it. This is why access to accurate information is so important.
As for a cure, I’m sure it will come. In the last five years there has been a dramatic increase in this research. Scientists are making great progress in working on all the sections of this very complex problem.
Science has a way of solving most problems. If not now, then it will happen in the future. But putting a timeline on when is tough. Many of the leading scientists are cautious on this. Many suggest at least ten years is reasonable but an unexpected breakthough could change this.
One part of the challenge for HIV is that the virus becomes part of the genetic material (DNA) of immune cells. Some of these cells, once infected, rest or sleep for many years. Currently HIV drugs only work in cells that are active or awake, but research is looking at ways of targeting those sleeping cells.
This article describes new approaches to cure research:
https://i-base.info/guides/art-in-pictures/the-hiv-cure-puzzle
Even if a cure is a long way off it is not something that I worry about. It will come, and treatment will keep me healthy and alive until then. Following research is a good was to keep informed – both for newer treatments and for research into vaccines and ‘a cure’.
Most HIV organisations have newsletters that report on research from medical conferences. If you email me with which country you live in I can suggest something that may be useful.
Note: The answer was updated in September 2014 from a question asked in August 2007.
Hi Aaryan,
As with other health conditions, HIV is a very difficult health condition to cure. There are however people who are working on cure research all over the world. Until a cure is found, ARVs are still the best option.
Why its getting too much to cure HIV? Its been now about 4 decade.. ..how far are we from HIV cure?
Hi Thembi,
We get asked this a lot. Please see here:
http://i-base.info/qa/category/life-expectancy
How long can you live with hiv
Hi Casey,
Thanks for the feedback. Its great to know that you find the service helpful.
Its common to have questions when you’re about to start treatment, this is why we have an, ‘Introduction to ART’ guide. Its helpful and goes through what you may, or may not experience when starting meds. Please see here:
http://i-base.info/guides/starting
With regards to whether you should take time off work. I can’t really answer this, this is because your yet to start meds. If you don’t get any side effects, then there’s no need too. However, if you do get side effects, you may want to. Its going to be a case of see how things go.
Hi all! I’m so happy, you guys keep me alive by reading what could work for an HIV person. I am about to start treatment, and I don’t know what to expect, what will be the effect on my body whilst my body is getting used to it? Will I be able to attend my work duties as normal or would you recommend I take leave for once I start the treatment? Thank you in advance.
Hi Lucky,
As of yet there is no cure for HIV. However, there are medical teams all over the world working on this.
If you’re positive, what’s important is to take your meds. This is because they are good at what they do. They are helping people live long and healthy lives.
I want to know, when is a HIV cure going to be found.
Hi Janet,
Thanks for the positive feed back, its really appreciated.
Its also great to hear that you’ve embraced your HIV and that you’re doing well.
Hi I’m 28 years of age and I just want to let you guys know that I love y’all and I pray that one day the cure will come for us. I’m doing great with my HIV. I’m engaged and I want kids one day and I just want to say there is a God and we thank you our heavenly Father and doctors and supportive groups I just want everyone to know it’s not the end of our world OK, so keep strong and prayed up.