Question
How long can someone live with HIV?
2 January 2018. Related: All topics, Life expectancy.
How long can a man live with HIV if he was around 18 years old and was healthy when he was infected, both with and without medication?
Answer
Modern HIV drugs mean that life expectancy is now similar for HIV positive people to the general population.
This is based on being diagnosed early and having access to treatment.
The wide range of factors related to life expectancy include: where you live, your income, access to health care, lifestyle (alcohol, drugs, tobacco, exercise and diet) and other infections like hepatitis, genetics and chance – good or bad luck.
Several large studies have been published showing that life expectancy for HIV positive people is very good, and near to an HIV negative person.
Without treatment, HIV will slowly progress in nearly everyone. This speed that HIV progresses varies from a few years to more than 20 years.
Note: this answer was updated in January 2018 from a question posted in August 2008..
i just found out that my brother is HIV positive. I saw he is taking 3 different kinds of medicines. He looks health and happy. I don’t know when he got infected. He uses bath room a lot tho. I am worried. I wonder what stage of HIV he has and how long will he live…
Please give us ARVs that combine the three drugs in one so that we can feel good.
You should not worry or think about dying. There is no death after HIV if you follow your doctor’s advice. You are you when you believe in life and the reality of life after AIDS. It is just like other diseases such as Cancer TB and others.
To both questions-this depends on what your current state is, as well as when you were infected (not diagnosed). If your immune system is really wiped away (very weak), then you may develop a life threatening condition or an opportunistic infection, but if you were infected recently, then most probably you will be fine for years to come.
You should not worry about those things though, as with treatment, your life span will be very near the one of an HIV-negative person. There is more on treatment and life expectancy at the following link: http://www.i-base.info/guides/starting/index.html
How soon can I die with HIV-2-3 months?
I’ve been diagnosed with HIV in April
There is a reply to the same question at the following link: http://www.i-base.info/qa/?p=543
I want to know how long one could live with
Hiya,
The recommendations in the UK are to start between 350 and 200, but closer to 350. The guidelines that are used here are the BHIVA guidelines and you can see them at the following link: http://www.bhiva.org/files/file1030835.pdf
and also some further information from this site: http://www.i-base.info/guides/starting/start.html
Dear Sir
Three months ago, my CD4 count was 620.
This week suddenly the count is down to 370.
I do not have yet any health problems.
My doctor says it