Question
How long can I live if I’m taking HIV treatment (ART)?
15 January 2018. Related: All topics, Life expectancy, Living with HIV long-term.
Can HIV kill when you have an undetectable viral load? I’m doing well on medication and how long can i live to the cure? Lastly, why cant I stop thinking about my HIV status – first thing in the morning and also just before I fall asleep?
Polio have been eradicated but why cant scientists do the same for HIV?
Answer
The quick answer is that with modern HIV drugs (called ART) your life expectancy is likely to be similar to if you were HIV negative. The earlier someone is diagnosed and start ART, the quicker any damage from HIV can be reversed.
For most people, HIV is easy to treat and easy to manage. ART can give you a normal life expectancy and an excellent quality of life.
Hw long anyone will live depends on things you can change (smoking, exercise, medication) and thing you can’t (genetics and luck). A study in Denmark (2005) estimated that the survival is more than 35 years for a young person diagnosed with HIV infection and another study in Canada (2003) report that in the US, life expectancy at age 20 years was an additional 58.3 years.
As long as your CD4 count stays above 200 cells/mm3, the risk of most HIV complications is pretty low. At higher CD4 levels – above 350, or 500, or 700 – the risk becomes lower still. Although some health problems are slightly higher in HIV positive people compared to HIV negative people, these risks are also often reduced by ART.
If you continue to take your medication as prescribed and do not miss or taking doses late, then the risk of HIV health problems in the future s very low. However, just as HIV negative people become ill, lifestyle changes to reduce these risks are important if you are HIV positive. For example, keeping mentally and physically active, eating a balanced diet, resting well, not smoking etc).
Having HIV might not always be easy though. The shock of being diagnosed sometimes takes a long time to come to terms with and at the moment you are still working on this. Already, I am sure you feel better than when you were first diagnosed and this will continue to become easier every year.
Most people worry about the impact of HIV on their life. This could bewhy you think about your HIV status on a daily basis. If this continues to be difficult perhaps get in touch with a local support group or ask about counselling. Talking about your HIV status can help you to deal with it and also through group support you can share experiences and also learn from one another. You do not have to deal with it in isolation.
Finally, you asked about research into a cure. HIV is very complex in a way that is different to polio. Although currently there is no vaccine or cure, there is a lot of ongoing research.
HIV treatment is one of the successes of modern medicine. The breadth and expertise in scientific advances has not only developed 30 medications in five drug classes but this research has contributed to many other areas of medicine.
Even though curing HIV is difficult, there are lots of reasons to be optimistic.
This question was updated in January 2018 from an original answer posted in November 2011. (See: Question 10 at this link for more information).
Hi my name victor my partner tested Positive while I tested negative and she’s pregnant with my unborn child though she has started taking her drugs as described by the doctor pls how do I stay with her without contacting the virus
Hi James,
Your HIV is under control, this is because your viral load is undetectable. This is great news.
With regards to your CD4 count, it’s possible that your CD4 may not rise much more than it has. This is due to you being diagnosed with a very low CD4 count. However it really isn’t possible to say how a persons CD4 will rise.
I was diagnosed about 3 years ago as positive with a very low CD4 of 34 and a very high VL. I’ve been on different generic versions of ARV’s ( depends on what they have in stock at the time ) but with the same ingredients. I’m worried, that although I’m feeling well and able to have a very normal life now ( career and personal ) I’m not able to gain weight and although 40 y/o only weigh 62 kg. My Viral load is now undetectable for the past year but my CD4 is still low, after the first year of treatment it went up from 34 to 164, and it is currently on 267 after 3 years. Do I need to be concerned or just continue with my 1 x Atrioza i’m taking daily and see what my CD4 and VL is with my next tests in August?
Hi Mandy,
I’m sorry to hear about your recent diagnosis. But it’s great that you’ve started ART and that you’re not feeling sick.
As Simon says above, the good news is that ART can give you a normal life expectancy and an excellent quality of life.
Please see this page from ART in Pictures. It shows that ART works dramatically as soon as you start. And HIV viral load can drop by 90% within the first few days, and by 99% within the first few weeks.
So because there’s much less virus, your CD4 count then gets the chance to recover. ART enables the CD4 count to increase to higher and safer levels.
Do you have access to your viral load results? Please let us know what they are. And tell us what meds you’re taking too.
Was diagnosed in Jan this year with CD4 count 96 before ART.and i am not feeling sick i take my meds everyday on time..How long do i have to live with aids when i have that low CD4 count? Is it possible to get sick when taking treatment accordingly?
Hi Uziar,
Yes ARVs will work, you being 53kg won’t have any impact on there ability to work.
hello i m hiv postive age 23 years and its one month ago after the exposure but my weight is very low its 53 kg can antiretroviral therapy work on me ???
Hi Joy,
I’m sorry to hear that your sister had to stop ART due to lack of funds. But what country does she live in? There could be local support organisations that can help her access treatment.
After having a treatment break she can ask her doctor to test for CD4 count and viral load. It’s a good idea to ask for a resistance test too. This test can check to see what new HIV meds can work well for your sister.
my sister stopped her treatment for more than a year now due to lack of fund hope she can continue with the treatment (ART) or do you have any advise to give on how to go back on treatment?
Hi Asim,
Unfortunately we don’t have resources to answer more questions on HIV risks and testing. But all FAQs are answered at this link.