How bad is living with HIV?

Living with HIV can increase the risk of stress, anxiety, and depression. Also, some opportunistic infections can affect the nervous system, resulting in changes in behavior and thinking. Anyone who has concerns about their mental or emotional health should let a healthcare professional know.

How many years a person can live with HIV?

The average time from infection to death is eight to ten years. There is no generalized definitive period for which a person with HIV can live. In the case of an untreated HIV infection, the overall mortality rate is more than 90%. The average time from infection to death is eight to ten years.

Can a person with HIV live a normal life?

The reality is, people with HIV can be in relationships, have sex, and live normal lives by taking a few precautions. Although there’s no cure for HIV, there are medicines that help people with HIV live longer, healthier lives. HIV treatment called antiretroviral therapy (ART) lowers the amount of virus in your body (called your viral load).

What was the average life span of a person with HIV?

At the start of the epidemic more than 30 years ago, people who were diagnosed with HIV or AIDS could expect to live only 1-2 years after that diagnosis. This meant that the issues of aging were not a major focus for people with HIV disease.

How many people are living with HIV in United States?

Living With HIV. Today, an estimated 1.1 million people are living with HIV in the United States. Thanks to better treatments, people with HIV are now living longer—and with a better quality of life—than ever before. If you are living with HIV, it’s important to make choices that keep you healthy and protect others.

Is it common for older people to have AIDS?

While effective HIV treatments have decreased the likelihood of AIDS-defining illnesses among people aging with HIV, HIV-associated non-AIDS conditions are more common in individuals with long-standing HIV infection.