Question
How long can I live without HIV drugs?
2 January 2017. Related: All topics, Life expectancy, Living with HIV long-term.
Can you please tell me how long can someone live without taking HIV medication?
Answer
The best way to answer this is to say that modern HIV treatment (ART) means that life expectancy is not affected by being HIV positive. HIV positive people with access to treatment can be expected to live as long as before they became positive.
Without using HIV treatment, life expectancy is related to how quickly your CD4 count drops and how low it gets.
Without treatment, some people see their CD4 count drop to under 200 within a few years of infection, while others people can go for 5-10 years or longer before they need treatment.
See also: Your CD4 count and the risk of becoming ill.
This is different to saying how long you could live. However, without treatment, once your CD4 count falls below 200 life expectancy drops very dramatically.
Note: This answer was updated in January 2017 from a question first posted in November 2011.
Hi Nelius,
From what you’ve said, you need to go and have a confirmation test. This test will need to be done in a clinic. If it does turn out that you’re positive, please get back in touch with us, we’ll be able to give you some advice.
Hello Iam 27yrs old I tested positive and Iam so scared to confirm my test again. I was pregnant when I tested positive and I had An abortion the same time so Iam worried about to go for test first can it really be positive coz I tested for pregnancy and it was negative, and I was pregnant but the hiv was positive and which I was sure was negative.
Hi Greg,
I’m sorry to hear this. What country do you live in? There could be local and/or national HIV organisations that provide treatment access help and advice.
Please let us know.
Hi I’m Greg I’m hiv pos I’m 50 I got five pills left no insurance no doctor I guess I’m going to see how long I last peace
Hi Alicia,
The simple thing is to ask your mother. If she was positive before you were born, or if she contracted HIV after you were born. If it was after then there’s no chance of you being positive.
Hey, I’m 17 years old and both of my parents were diagnosed with HIV though I don’t know if they contracted the disease after they got me I was never taken to the doctor to be tested and I don’t know whether or not I’m positive. What should I do?
Hi Grace,
What is it that you’d like to ask?
i test hiv and the result was positive 6months now no symptoms
Hi Marko,
If you’re positive you need to be on ARVs, this is important especially if you have a low CD4 count. Do you know what yours is? I can’t comment on your work situation, however if you’re from the UK you wouldn’t lose your job.
Hello . I feel like i need to share my experience. I was tested hiv positive in november 2016, 3 times. But i had major symptoms a year earlier. im not taking any medication. First of all cause i dont have a medical card. And the other reason is that i work on the ship for 6 months so i afraid i will lose my job and i wont be able to bring required medicines on board. I always have some health issues in my mouth.skin.or other parts of my body.then i go to doctor and they give me some medicines and i cure myself. So thats how im fighting until now. I dont know what to do. I worry so much