Question
I’m 36 and HIV+, how long will I live?
27 February 2012. Related: All topics, Disclosure, Life expectancy, Living with HIV long-term.
Hi, I am 36 years old, diagnosed 2 years ago HIV Positive.
My CD4 is 547 and my viral load is under 5000 copies, I am still not on treatment and have no resistance to any of the main medications used. I have no other health problems, don’t smoke, eat well and exercise 4-5 times a week.
I know that I should reach a fairly good age but what is that likely to be? I still wonder whether I should bother making plans for pensions and I am feeling very low as I think I will have poor quality of life even if I do have another 25-30 years left.
Few people know that I am gay let alone positive which makes things difficult.
I would really like some help understanding what age I am likely to live until and what my quality of life will be.
Thanks in advance for an incredibly good website and source of information.
Answer
Hi,
Thanks for your question. It is great to hear that your CD4 Count is so high and that you are looking after your health.
You asked how long you can expect to live. This question is difficult to answer because of course each person is an individual. HIV affects everybody differently.
Being diagnosed early- when you still have a high CD4 count- is important in increasing life expectancy. A recent study looked at HIV positive men who have sex with men living in rich countries. It found that, when diagnosed early, life expectancy was 75 years. The study, which is quite technically worded, can be viewed at this link.
I hope this reassures you that you can expect to live almost as long as somebody who is HIV negative. You also said that you are worried about having a poor quality of life.
While living with HIV is not easy you can still have a good quality of life. Treatment and care within the UK is an excellent standard. We have access to the latest drugs. Serious side effects are much less common with new drugs, and are well managed.
You mentioned that you don’t have much support and that few people know that you are gay. This must be difficult when trying to cope with your recent diagnosis. You might be interested in meeting other gay men in the UK living with HIV. If you look at this link you will see ways to contact support groups for gay HIV positive men.
If you would like to talk to somebody within i-Base for more information you can call our free phoneline on 0808 800 6013.
I swallow my medicine in different hours does it have any effect on mi body
Hi Tancy, is there a reason you are asking about stopping for 3 months?
How long have you been on treatment? and do you know what your CD4 count/viral load is?
Stopping will likely cause your CD4 count and viral load to return to what they were before you were on treatment. This means your viral load will become detectable and your CD4 count will fall.
When your CD4 count falls you become more susceptible to other infections/illnesses. This is because HIV will damage your immune system and your body is less able to protect itself. This is explained further here: https://i-base.info/guides/starting/how-does-cd4-count-relate-to-the-risk-of-becoming-ill
What treatment are you on? and how are you doing with taking your treatment daily? do you have any side effects that are making it a problem to take them everyday?
What if stop taking your drugs for 3 months
Hi Abigail, it is great to hear that your viral load results are really good. Did they tell you the result specifically?
A low viral load means HIV is being suppressed and HIV is working. This means HIV is no longer destroying your CD4 cells/immune cells. Are you able to ask what your CD4 results are?
When on treatment and your viral load is suppressed, it means your life expectancy is often the same as someone who does not have HIV. This is because the treatment is stopping HIV from doing any damage.
If you can find out your viral load, if it is below 200/undetectable, there will be no risk of transmission to your husband. This is because the viral load is so low that it cannot be passed on via sex even without a condom.
This is called U=U: https://i-base.info/u-equals-u/
I am Abigail,28 years old. I was diagnosed two years ago with HIV and on treatment
I don’t know my CD4 points but I was told from the last viral load results that it was good
Am married with a daughter
I don’t know how long I have to live
My husband is negative and we are afraid to have other children because he might maybe be infected
Please we need help
Hi Kasaga, have you had a confirmatory blood test at a health clinic to confirm your HIV status?
I tested positive last two years and started using black seed and honey I went back to test and I tested negative for three times but am not filling ok but when I take ARVs I feel ok when I stop for months I feel Sick and am still negative
Hi Brian, thanks for your comment and explaining how your life is right now. It is really good that you have been able to say these things. You are also very lucky to have a partner who is trying to help.
Please do not give up. Sometimes it takes many attempts until you find help.
Your issues with alcohol are much more serious and complicated than HIV. I hope that everything you are doing this time helps. Please also tell your HIV clinic in case they can help with counselling support about depression.
I was Diagnosed with HIV in 2014. I’m also an alcoholic. Since I was diagnosed I have increased my alcohol consumption. I’m 61 years old male and currently seeing someone. He is aware of my situation and we are currently in a relationship. We have been seeing each other for 5 years. He is 30 years younger than I am He knows of my diagnosis. I get depressed but unable to talk to anyone. I’m trying my best. Started going back to the Catholic Church. And found a sponsor. But I’m still can not stop drinking. I feel so alone and up against a wall.
Hi Diana, was this the first time you have had a viral load test? Your viral load is suppressed but it is not undetectable. This means that there is still some risk of HIV transmission to other people. Do you know your CD4 count? A viral load of 400 does mean there is some small risk that HIV will still have some effect on your immune system.
Is there a reason that you stopped treatment? What were you taking?