How long can a HIV patient live without treatment?
Once a person progresses to AIDS, they have a high viral load and can transmit HIV to others very easily. In the absence of treatment, people with AIDS typically survive for about three years.Jun 25, 2020
Can a person with HIV live without treatment?
If a person with HIV receives consistent antiretroviral therapy before the infection advances, they can live a long, healthy life, with a life expectancy comparable to that of someone without HIV. Without treatment, a person may develop stage 3 HIV 2–15 years after contracting the infection.
Can you live with HIV for 30 years without treatment?
Thirty years ago, being diagnosed with HIV was considered a death sentence. Today, people with HIV can live long and healthy lives. That's why routine HIV screening is vital. Early detection and timely treatment are key to managing the virus, extending life expectancy, and reducing the risk of transmission.
Factors That Reduce Life Expectancy
- Despite these advances, there are factors that can increase or decrease the life expectancy of people with HIV. These range from things we can control (such as taking our pills every day) to things we can't (such as race or poverty). These factors not only influence not only how a perso…
Losses in Life Years
- There is not always a straight line between how certain risk factors increase or decrease the life expectancy of someone with HIV. This is because people tend to have overlapping risk factors. Take, for example, Black men who have sex with men (MSM). The combination of racism, poverty, homophobia, and stigma—as well as the biological vulnerabilities to HIV—places Black MSM in t…
Summary
- Studies show that people living with HIV today can expect to live a near-normal life expectancy if treatment is started early and taken every day as prescribed. Even so, there are things that can undermine a person's ability to do so. This includes factors likes poverty, stigma, racism, and homophobia that can stand in a person's way of accessing consistent care and treatment. Othe…
A Word from Verywell
- As encouraging as the statistics are, it doesn't mean you have less to worry about when it comes to HIV. In the end, the choices you make will determine how well you respond to treatment and influence your individual risk of both HIV- and non-HIV-related illnesses. Ultimately, HIV is about more than just pills. You need to also take of your general health by eating a healthy diet, exercis…