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 had unsafe about 10 weeks ago…..
Then about 4 weeks back, i felt feverish & i took some anti-malaria drugs.
Last week Tuesday day, i came back home feeling tired with cold, cough, catarrh & sore throat .
I thought ‘it can be malaria again’ so i took septrine, actifed, cough syrup & q drug 4 sore throat.
I felt a little better the following day, but then, i was exposed again & for over a week now, the cough & catarrh persisted; now with fever.
Do you think i might be infected?
Am scared of running the test.
Hi Imran,
I’m sorry to hear about your recent diagnosis. Have you got any support to deal with this?
It’s important to have your CD4 count monitored regularly while you are not on treatment. In the UK you would have your CD4 count checked every 3-6 months.It is usually recommended that people start treatment when your CD4 count is around 350 or below. Have you had your CD4 count checked recently?
Its almost 18 months since I was found HIV positive and actually I was frustrated much, I then went to check for my cd4 count which counted 442 then,,,I haven’t looked for any medication so far, I want to know from you what should I do now
Hi Samat,
I’m very sorry to hear about your wife’s recent diagnosis. Has she started any treatment? With treatment there is still a good chance that your baby will be HIV negative. Please follow this link for more information about HIV diagnosis late in pregnancy.
For more information about testing negative when your wife has tested positive please see our FAQs on this topic.
Hi
My wife is carrying now she is 9 month last month only we came to know she is positive. Is there any chance baby to have this infection…..??? I have tested neagetive I have done UN protected x with her when we don’t know about the infection is there a chance to have infection to me……? I have tested foe 4 times still am neagetive I’ll test after 3 months to know my status but she have never done anything to have HIV+ is this infection she have cos of me….???
Hi Felicia,
It’s normal to feel worried about starting treatment but there are lots of women who stop treatment after pregnancy and then start again some time later. What are you most worried about?
Do you know what your CD4 count is? And have you spoken to a doctor about re-starting treatment?
Hi.I was diagnosed Hiv positive since 2011 when I was pregnant and I was placed on drugs but since 2 years now I have stopped taking the drugs.I don’t feel anything,I have never fallen sick since then but now,I want to start taking the drugs now but I’m too scared something might happen to me since it’s been long I took it.
Hi Elyas,
Do you see a doctor to check your CD4 count? This is a way of checking how strong your immune system is- it’s better than waiting for symptoms and means you can start treatment when you need to without ever getting ill. Do you have a doctor who checks this?
I am 21 and i am still vergin but i am infected by HIV 5 years ago i didn’t use medicen.still i have no change
Hi Max, symptoms are not a good way to diagnose HIV. Please see our guide to testing and transmission for more information.