Question
How long can someone live with HIV?
30 May 2008. Related: All topics, Living with HIV long-term.
What is minimum life expectancy of a person living with HIV?
Answer
Lots of people ask this or a similar question, and often it is because they are worried about their health, or a friends health, after a recent HIV diagnosis.
With access to treatment, and careful use of treatment, then life expectancy is close to that of an HIV-negative person. Researchers in this study estimated that after 6-7 years successful treatment, an HIV-positive person with a high CD4 count has similar health risks to someone who is HIV-negative.
Without access to treatment, or by not using treatment properly, then HIV is still something to take very seriously. Late diagnosed HIV is one of the main factors in HIV-related deaths in western countries.
Hi Peep,
Info about life expectancy can be found here, please see Q10: http://i-base.info/qa/what-are-the-most-asked-questions
Is it possible for HIV patient to live for 80yrs and above? If he/she start treatment after 7yrs of infection.
Hi Philder
I hope everything goes well with your treatment.
This will work because the drugs are active against HIV.
I tastepositive on this month n am on drugs bt al pull thru wth God
The reasons are not very well understood yet. It is an active field of research but, so far the exact answer has not been found. The most probable explanation is the genetic background of different people. Like with every other condition or disease, some people are more prone to complications than others. It may be also the life style factors, i.e. stress, healthy lifestyle in terms of diet and so on.
I have been positive for 13 years and have not started treatment yet. I have been healthy so far. My dad started treatment 23 years after diagnosis. I have heard different time scales and I too am curious why people are so different.
Wayne and Jason. I have just been diagnosed and need to consider starting treatment soon based on my recent results. Your comments have helped enormously and much more than any advice I have received so far from medical professionals. Thank you.
I am in my 21st year too and have never had an ill day from HIV.
It took 16 years before I needed treatment, and now I’m on it, my prospects are even better.
If it helps,