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.
any best doctor in india for HIV?
Hi Sbuda,
I am very sorry to hear about your recent infection. Finding out you are HIV positive has obviously been a big shock, and it’s normal to want somebody to blame.
Although you feel very angry with your fiance right now you also know that she has never been tested for HIV. So if she is HIV positive she doesn’t know this. Terrence Higgins Trust has information about blame on their website, including suggestions for how to deal with this and a helpline if you need to talk to somebody. You can access this here: THT:Blame
The supplements you are taking shouldn’t cause you any harm now that you are HIV+. Some of these supplements do react with certain HIV drugs though. So it’s important to let your doctor know everything that you are taking before you start any treatment for HIV.
i just got diagnose with hiv about 2 weeks ago, i’m healthy and strong (train 5times a week..bodybuilding) and it’s my habit that every 6months i do blood test due to kind of work i do and also get hepititus b injection at work. i take supplements like CREATINE, WHEY PROTEIN, PHERDA CUTS (weight loss tabs) + other Anabolic stimulants, will these supplements cause any harm to me since i’m now HIV+? i lived a happy life until 2 weeks ago cause all my medical certificates indicates HIV-, my biggest problem is that my fiance never done these tests before and we’ve been trying to have a baby since last year. i’m filled with anger and rage within me cause i definately know i got this from my fiance and i’m still trying to find a polite way to tell her to do test cause now i know my status and it’s hard to accept this new status. my CD4 count is 600 and viral load is 86k, how to break this to her without any anger? sometimes i feel like doing the worse thing, help before i do it?
Hello Mbali,
I’m very sorry to her about your recent diagnosis. It’s good to hear that you’re doing so well on treatment though. It’s great that you didn’t experience side effects. Not everybody does get side effects and this doesn’t mean that the treatment isn’t working. You’ve just been very lucky. So long as you are taking your medication properly there is no reason to expect it not to work. For more information about starting treatment you can look at our Introduction to combination therapy guide. I wish you the best of luck with your baby’s test result!
hello i was preg in 2011-2012 at six months on january i discover that im hiv pos my cd 4 was 100 and viral load was 604and started arv on march and ididnt even having those side effects im living a normal life my baby is 1 month now im waiting for her blood result next week is it possble for a person whos cd4 is very low to not to have side effects pls help im scaredsomething big migth happen to me
Hello Eeesha,
I’m sorry to hear that you are having such a difficult time. But it’s really great that your baby has tested negative!
In the UK all HIV positive mothers are advised not to breastfeed. This is because HIV can be passed to a baby through breastfeeding. In poorer countries not all women can afford to feed their baby with formula milk. Formula feeding will only protect your baby if you stop breastfeeding completely. If you mix between breastfeeding and formula feeding this can be worse than just breastfeeding. So if you can afford to feed your baby formula all the time this is safer. And if your baby is already eating some solids you should try to stop breastfeeding. But if you can’t afford this there is less risk from breastfeeding all the time than mixing the two methods. You can read more about breastfeeding in our pregnancy guide.
You also asked if you can marry a negative man. Being HIV positive should not stop you marrying anyone. It’s important to be honest with your partner so that you can look after each other. By being on treatment, and by using condoms, you can protect your partner from being infected. There are many couples where one person is positive and the other negative. This is called being sero-different. You can read questions from sero-different couples here.
Hello, I was pregnant in 2010 to 2011 when I went to the hospital for delivery they did a test and told me I was hiv positve then they gave me drugs to take before delivery. Then they gave me a drug for the baby from day one. And my family doc said I’m negative but it is hipatitis and started giving me drugs for almost a year now. Last month they tested the baby he was negative and my cd4 is 650, I’m still breast feeding my baby. Is their chances of transmitting it to him? And can I marry a negative man? I was married for 3yrs m partner died of aids. I am scared pls councel. I don’t use to sleep
Hi Sam,
It sounds like your doctor is giving you good advice. Most countries don’t recommend starting treatment until your CD4 count is 350 or less. Your CD4 is well above this and this shows that your immune system is still strong.
Unfortunately there is no cure for HIV at this time. Holistic treatments do not cure HIV. The only effective treatment is antiretroviral treatment (ARVs). This is the only medication that will decrease the viral load and increase your CD4.
hi. I’m 35 yrs old, male. Recently diagnosed HIV + in May 2012, I was shocked 2 hear the shocking news but doctor told me that i can live normal life like others. My CD4 count is 630 when I was tested. My doctor told me that there is time to start medicines and nothing 2 worry, is he right?
Other question- I want to ask about holistic treatment which I heard on web-site.they said that HIV is curable with holistic herbal medicines. there will b no viral load after three months.so shall i use holistic treatment? I’m confused, please let me know if holistic treatments really cure HIV?
Hello Raj
I’m sorry but i-Base no longer answers individual questions about risks of HIV transmission or HIV testing.
This service is based on information relating to treatment of people who are HIV positive.