How many live with HIV? The relevance of this question is simply undeniable, but it is difficult to give an unambiguous answer to it. Medicine is now unable to cure people infected with the immunodeficiency virus, but scientists are making progress. At this time, doctors are able to control the amount of HIV in the body. A healthy lifestyle and medicines significantly prolong the life of patients.

To understand how many years they live with HIV and what are the prospects for an infected person, you must first understand why the human immunodeficiency virus is so dangerous. This pathogen is quite young. It was opened only in the 80s of the last century. By itself, it is not fatal. HIV infects only one type of cell in the human body - T-leukocytes. However, they are a key element of the immune system. Because of this, the body cannot resist various infections. They are the ultimate cause of death. AIDS patients die from pneumonia, cancer, hepatitis, tuberculosis, candidiasis and other diseases.

Invisibility of infection

Evolution of infection

There are five stages of HIV. The period from two weeks to one year after infection is called the window period. It ends when antibodies to HIV appear in the blood. If a person has weakened immunity, this stage does not last longer than six months.

• hives;
• subfebrile temperature;
• stomatitis;
• inflammation of the lymph nodes: they increase, become painful.

The final stage of this stage is characterized by the maximum concentration of antibodies and virus in the blood.

Then the disease enters a stage called the latent period. As a rule, it lasts 5-10 years. Usually the only manifestation of HIV at this stage is a periodic increase in lymph nodes. They become firm but not painful (lymphadenopathy).

The next step is called preAIDS. Its duration is 1-2 years. At this stage, a serious inhibition of cellular immunity begins. A person can be tormented by herpes (with frequent relapses). Ulcerations of the mucous membranes and genital organs do not heal for a very long time. There is stomatitis and leukoplakia of the tongue. There is candidiasis of the genital organs and oral mucosa.

Then comes the terminal stage - directly AIDS. It is accompanied by generalization of opportunistic tumors and infections. The prognosis at this stage is usually negative. At this stage, even the common flu can kill a person.

How HIV is transmitted

It is known that AIDS is one of the most terrible diseases of our time. Therefore, absolutely everyone needs to know how his pathogen is transmitted in order to avoid infection and so that the question of how many people live with HIV does not become urgent and burning. This information also does not interfere in order not to humiliate patients once again. The pathogen enters the body during unprotected intercourse, during the reuse of a syringe, during blood transfusion, through mother's milk. Many mistakenly believe that AIDS is a disease of drug addicts and homosexuals. However, this is just a stereotype. Anyone can contract this disease. Nobody is immune from this. Many people become infected through contact with the blood of a patient or during donor sampling.

How long do people with HIV live

As already mentioned, AIDS is a very dangerous disease. However, it is impossible to reliably predict how long people with HIV live. Even approximate data does not exist. After all, every body is different. Some die 3-5 years after infection, others live for decades.

Very roughly can tell about how long they live with HIV, highly averaged statistics. On average, this period is from 5 to 15 years.

The life expectancy of patients cannot be reliably measured for several reasons. Firstly, it is no secret that many of the first infected are still alive. That is for over 30 years. However, this period is not a limit. How many live with a diagnosis of HIV as much as possible, only time will tell.

Secondly, medicine and science do not stand still. Since the discovery of the virus (in 1983), effective drugs have been developed that make it possible to stop the development of HIV. Proper drug therapy can prolong the life of the patient. Work on the creation of a cure for AIDS does not stop. New, more effective drugs are constantly emerging. Antiretroviral therapy helps to prevent the evolution of the stage of HIV infection into AIDS. Potent drugs block the substances necessary for the development of the virus, thereby preventing the disease from progressing.

Thirdly, although being infected with the human immunodeficiency virus is not a death sentence, the disease is very serious. How long you can live with HIV depends largely on the rhythm and quality of life of the patient. And she's not easy. You need to constantly check the level of T-leukocytes with a doctor, maintain your health, keep correct image life - bad habits should not be. With a decrease in the level of immunity, courses of appropriate therapy should be taken. Not even too much serious illness under no circumstances should it be left to chance. They need to be treated on time. Children with HIV should also follow these instructions. How long they live also depends on the characteristics of a particular organism and the timeliness of therapy.

Precautionary measures

People living with HIV/AIDS (PLWHA) need to be careful in everyday life not to infect others and their loved ones. Avoid unprotected sex, do not breastfeed children, do not reuse needles and other piercing objects. It is also necessary to prevent the ingress of sperm, blood, vaginal secretions on mucous membranes and wounds. healthy people.

How is HIV not transmitted?

Many people mistakenly consider HIV-infected people to be extremely dangerous to others. However, the virus is not transmitted through:

• air;
• clothes and towels;
• handshakes (if there are no open wounds on the skin);
• bites of mosquitoes, mosquitoes and other insects;
• any kisses (in the absence of bleeding cracks and damage to the lips and oral cavity);
• dishes;
• swimming pool, toilet, bathroom, etc.

Therefore, it is almost impossible to get infected in everyday life.

HIV drug classes

There are three classes of medications for treating HIV. The therapy is based on the simultaneous administration of three medications from two different classes. This combination is necessary so that the pathogen does not get used to drugs. If the chosen course of treatment is effective, it is prescribed for the rest of life.

What you need to do to survive with HIV

Infected people should do everything to strengthen immunity. You need to try to eliminate stress, as well as negative thoughts about how many people live with HIV. A lot depends on the inner mood. It is also necessary to adhere to a healthy lifestyle, eat well (a diet with a lot of proteins), take vitamin and mineral complexes. All this helps the body to better cope with the disease. You also need to keep the body in good shape or at least exercise regularly. You can not abuse alcohol - it reduces immunity and reduces the effectiveness of drugs. It is also recommended to stop smoking. When HIV-infected, in no case should you use drugs. First, in the background this disease narcotic substances in themselves significantly shorten the life span. Second, the drugs are incompatible with most antiretroviral drugs.

How long is life with HIV, and is it possible to increase its duration?

How many are living with HIV is a question that has been worrying hundreds of people around the world for several decades. It is worth noting that scientists, as well as physicians, still do not give an exact answer to it. And the point is not only that the deadly attack of our century has not been fully studied and a vaccine against it has not yet been found. In this matter, much depends on the state of the patient at the time of infection. One thing is certain. How long you can live with HIV infection depends on taking care of yourself in terms of nutrition and bad habits.

How long do people with HIV infection live: statistics of the last decade

The level of epidemic danger of contracting a deadly disease in our country is constantly growing. Terrifying data suggests that the disease has moved from a disease of people at risk, in other words, outcasts, into a common phenomenon. Everyone is at risk of infection. After all, not always the cause of infection is an asocial lifestyle. Often a person gets an infection due to an absurd accident.

When thinking about how long you will live with HIV after infection, people often look for information about what the statistics are. It has increased significantly over the past decade. On the question of how long people live with AIDS, doctors still cannot give a definitive answer, but the data show that on average this period has increased by five to ten years. In the eighties of the last century, when the disease was just discovered, people had practically no chance of survival. Initially, few people thought about how long HIV-infected people live. This diagnosis sounded like a death sentence. Several years, which were assigned to the infected, passed in agony and incomprehension of what measures to take in terms of treatment.

How many years do people live with HIV infection and AIDS now? For comparison, examples can be given that indicate that some patients with such a diagnosis were infected even at the time of the discovery of the disease. We are talking about carriers of the virus. In their body, the infection does not manifest itself in any way for many years. In this case, HIV without treatment is not dangerous for its carrier. However, other people are at risk of infection. The particular danger here lies precisely in the fact that some carriers of the virus do not know about their diagnosis for a long time. It is not entirely correct to talk about how long an HIV patient lives in this matter. Indeed, in some cases, those infected throughout their lives do not know that they have a diagnosis. Such information becomes known quite by accident, for example, during a routine medical examination or medical examination.

It is important to note that the statistics of the last decade indicate that the average life expectancy of AIDS and HIV-infected patients with therapy is much longer. Of course, there are situations when the use of special drugs does not give the expected effect, and it is not possible to extend the asymptomatic stage for a long time. And how long they live with HIV infection, taking therapy (with treatment), directly depends on the characteristics of the human body and the state of his health. This is influenced by concomitant diseases, which in the case of dangerous disease can develop rapidly, as well as a way of life. This issue is especially true for drug addicts who use illicit injectable drugs. How long can you live with HIV infection (AIDS) with treatment (taking therapy), using drugs? This question cannot be answered precisely. But doctors believe that even a ten-year period is out of the question. After all, the effect that specific therapy has for a dangerous illness is almost completely stopped. drugs, which adversely affect not only the immune system, but also other vital important features organism. This is about gastrointestinal tract, central nervous and cardiovascular systems. In other words, if we compare how many years people with HIV infection and AIDS patients live without treatment and injection drug addicts on ART therapy, the result will not be much different.

It should also be noted that with a proper attitude to one's own health and treatment, the life expectancy of an infected person increases significantly. There is still no answer to the question of how many years HIV-infected people live with treatment. But according to statistics, the average duration has increased by at least one decade. Many cases are known when infected people lived with an asymptomatic stage for more than twenty to twenty-five years. Since the number of virus cells in the body is successfully maintained at an acceptable level thanks to special therapy. The term of life with HIV and AIDS in this case largely depends not only on her image, but also on the qualifications and experience of the doctor. A specialist in the field of medicine must select an individual scheme for a patient with a fatal illness, based on his physiological characteristics, as well as qualitative and quantitative analysis for AIDS. How many years people with HIV live with a properly selected ART regimen also depends on psychological state patient. After all, shattered nerves lead to constant stress. It, in turn, can develop into a prolonged depression or neurosis. So, the effectiveness of treatment is out of the question. And how long do people with HIV live? this case directly depends on the support that others give to the infected and, of course, on the mood in general.

HIV infection: how long can you live without treatment, what does it depend on?

Information about how long you can live with HIV infection without treatment is of interest to many. This is extremely surprising, but the nature of a person living in our country is such that he cannot always believe in the healing power of medicines. Infected people actively search the Internet for information on how to treat the virus folk remedies. Meanwhile, the precious time allotted to put to sleep irreversible processes in the body is running out. By the way, this approach to treatment is the main reason why life expectancy with HIV infection in Russia is lower than in a number of European or Western countries.

AIDS dissidents also bring a certain kind of confusion to this issue, the appearance of which made the public seriously worried. Far from medicine, and even more so from science, people began to declare that no virus exists. They, having no evidence, are trying to misinform the infected, saying that the life expectancy of people with HIV, with AIDS without therapy can be long. After all, a terrible diagnosis is just an attempt to lure money out of the budget for the study of a non-existent disease and the purchase of imaginary medicines for it. What drives AIDS dissidents and why even the fact that hundreds of people die every year from a terrible incurable disease does not stop them is not entirely clear. After all, any specialist in the field of medicine can tell you that the average life expectancy of AIDS patients and HIV-infected people in Russia is much longer if they carefully monitor their health and follow all the doctor's orders, as well as take medication. We are talking about antiretroviral drugs and medicines for diseases associated with the disease.

The prognosis for living with HIV without proper treatment is, to put it mildly, disappointing. What will happen to the body if you do not take medicine for a long time after infection? Initially, the virus will go into the stage of primary manifestations, most likely, it will be detected during this period. How long can you live with HIV without therapy at this time? Since a certain amount of time must pass from the moment the virus is detected to the appointment of the appropriate drugs, it is not necessary to talk about the appointment of special therapy during this period. The next stage is the safest, we are talking about the asymptomatic period. How many years do HIV-infected people live without treatment in this case? No one can give a definitive answer to this question. Only one thing is clear to specialists in the field of medicine. Living with this devastating disease without taking ART during this period is like being on a powder keg. It seems warm and comfortable, but it is impossible to guess at what moment a powerful explosion will occur, which will cost lives. And in the case of this dangerous disease, we are talking about life. How long a person with HIV will live without therapy in this case - a year, two or ten - is unknown. But most often, the infection begins to manifest itself in all its glory, moving into the stage of secondary ailments. And this period already directly threatens the state of almost all vital systems of the human body, and not just the immune system. This stage is a kind of point of no return. Many patients become actively interested in ART therapy already when the latency period is over. Of course, doctors will be able to increase the life expectancy of an HIV-infected person even in this case, but the measures will be late and not very effective. Thus, the patient will be able to win a maximum of several years. And then the virus will move to the stage of concomitant infections. They also affect vital systems and organs, as a result of which the patient's condition gradually worsens and death occurs. One of the most dangerous stages ailment is 4b. At this stage, the deadly disease is already turning into AIDS. The body of the patient is affected by terrible ailments. These are syphilis, tuberculosis, Kaposi's sarcoma and so on. How many live with HIV 4b is a question, in fact, that does not require an answer. In this case, everything is calculated not in years, but in months. Although official medicine knows cases with a relatively favorable outcome, when with the help of ART therapy it was possible to slightly slow down the development of the virus in stage 4b.

How many years can a person with HIV infection live if he did not take drugs before the stage of concomitant infections. No one will name the exact dates, since this is influenced by several factors. This is the state of health at the time of infection, and the state of immunity. Also, lifestyle plays an important role. However, cases when the patient was not treated and lived with such a disease for more than twelve years are unknown to medicine. Unless, of course, we are talking about carriers of the virus, in whom the disease may not manifest itself in any way for many years.

Living with HIV without treatment (without therapy) is a dangerous game with death. In this case, it is impossible to delay, because if the disease passes into the stage of secondary manifestations, the therapy may be ineffective or completely powerless. And the answer to the question of how long HIV-infected people live without treatment after infection, in this case, will be disappointing.

This terrible AIDS: how long do HIV-infected people live with treatment?

How long they live with HIV during treatment is a question that also worries many. People who care about their health and are well aware that one cannot do without the intervention of doctors in this matter, want to know what is the life expectancy with HIV during treatment. It depends on several factors. What exactly are we talking about? First of all, about the state of the human body during infection. How many years does a person with AIDS live if he was healthy at the time of infection? Of course, talking about ideally good health in modern world happens rarely. And in this case, everything is relative. But if a person at the time of infection did not have any chronic and advanced pathologies, led a healthy lifestyle and took care of himself, then the chances that the course of the disease will be milder are much greater. How long people with HIV live while taking therapy also largely depends on further behavior. It is very important to visit a doctor on time and take tests. With the help of quantitative diagnostics of the infection, specialists manage to determine how the disease behaves, what are the further forecasts. And most importantly, with the help of such an analysis, the doctor will be able to choose the course of the necessary therapy, which will help to significantly increase the life span of HIV-infected people.

About the therapy itself should be said separately. It is the only modern way to contain the virus for a long time. We are talking about the maximum possible extension of the asymptomatic stage. How long people live with AIDS with treatment depends on many factors. In order to understand this, it is necessary to understand what kind of drugs are taken as part of such treatment. Antiretroviral therapy is based on taking a number of drugs. Treatment has several goals. Virological focus - direct impact on the virus. This is necessary so that a person does not develop AIDS (everyone knows how long to live with an illness at this stage). ART therapy allows you to deal with concomitant ailments. Another focus of such treatment is immunological. After all, how long an HIV-infected person can live depends on the state of his immune system. In this case, drugs are prescribed that maximally restore the immune system and increase the number of CD-4 cells.

How people live with HIV infection depends on the behavior of the virus in the body. All attempts by scientists to develop a vaccine or a cure for a terrible disease are in vain due to the fact that the virus has a high degree of mutagenicity. Even in the most adverse conditions it is able to change the composition of RNA, thereby remaining resistant to any drugs. So why do doctors in this case say that with the help of antiretroviral therapy it is realistic to live with HIV until old age? The fact is that the complex effect of several drugs on the virus allows you to cope with mutagenicity. As a result the immune system comes back to normal. The number of useful CD-4 cells is increasing, which means that the fight against the virus is ongoing.

How long they live with HIV therapy also depends on the right treatment regimen. It all depends on the experience of the doctor, as well as on the correct diagnosis. When choosing an ART regimen, several factors are taken into account. Important in this case is the condition of the body of the infected person, his lifestyle, as well as the indicators of the tests. Based on these data, the specialist assigns a scheme, after which its effectiveness is checked. This takes into account the patient's well-being and changes in test results. If the scheme is ineffective, it is replaced. This is extremely important, because the duration of life with HIV depends on the complex medicines.

We should return to the previous topic, since the question voiced in it is a burning issue for many infected people and their loved ones. How many years do they live with HIV, taking therapy and following all the doctor's prescriptions? Average has increased by at least eight to ten years in recent years. This means that with the successful development of events with this disease, you can live for more than twenty years. Unfortunately, this does not apply to all infected people. After all, how many years a person can live with AIDS and HIV depends largely on lifestyle.

How to live with HIV for a long time: it all depends on the mood and lifestyle

How long an HIV-infected person lives on average depends on a number of factors. In addition to taking antiretroviral drugs, which must be carried out in strict accordance with the instructions, you should regularly visit a doctor. When registering, each patient is given a special memo, in which everything is described in detail. Of course, the doctor appoints the patient receptions after a certain time. However, if you feel unwell, a person should seek medical help before the scheduled visit.

How long do people who lead a marginal existence live with HIV infection? The answer is no. Even ART treatment is powerless here. Therefore, in order to avoid the rapid development of complications, you should completely change all your views. The correct behavior in such a situation is the abandonment of all destructive habits that adversely affect general condition health. These are alcohol, the use of nicotine-containing products and drugs.

Some experts in the field of studying this disease believe that it is possible to live with HIV until old age according to the principle: movement is life. A sedentary image should say a resolute no. Frequent walking and being outside physical activity, loading the body with the help of sports, if it does not harm the current state of health, is in most cases welcome. It is also important to review the diet. Less unhealthy fats, more healthy carbohydrates, a complete rejection of fatty and strict restriction sweet, fried and floury.

How many years people with AIDS live is a difficult question to which it is not always possible to give a clear answer. It is also important to take into account that this is in some way influenced by the psycho-emotional state of a person, as well as the support of loved ones.

HIV infection: how long can you live

✓ Article checked by Dr.

HIV infection is one of the most terrible diagnoses of our time, which completely changes a person’s life and forces them to abandon their usual way of life. One of the most common questions that patients ask their doctor is life expectancy with this pathology. Unfortunately, it is impossible to give an exact answer to this question, since many factors affect life expectancy with HIV, including the timeliness of diagnosis and treatment.

To understand how long a person infected with HIV can live, it is necessary to understand what it is and how the virus affects the human body.

HIV infection: how long can you live

What is HIV?

The human immunodeficiency virus is HIV. It enters the human body mainly through sexual contact. About a third of infected people contracted the virus during a blood transfusion or donation. The list of especially dangerous procedures also includes:

• haircuts, eyebrow correction;
• tattoo;
• dental treatment;
• visiting the procedure room for blood donation.

Despite the fact that disposable needles and syringes are used for blood sampling, minimum percentage infection still remains, and is less than 1%. Much more risky in this regard is the treatment at the dentist. Here, a favorable outcome depends on the accuracy, responsibility and conscientiousness of the medical personnel who are responsible for the disinfection and processing of instruments. Rules and norms of asepsis are strictly regulated sanitary standards and job description, therefore, if they are followed, the likelihood of getting HIV and other infections (herpes, hepatitis, etc.) is completely excluded.

What is HIV infection

Many people are concerned about the possibility of HIV infection in the household way. The risk of this is minimal, but still it persists, provided that a healthy and infected person has abrasions, cracks and cuts on the skin. In this case, it is possible to introduce an infection during a handshake, using common hygiene items, or when kissing.

Important! Given the prevalence of HIV infection, you need to be very careful about your own health and carefully monitor any damage and integrity skin and mucous membranes. When visiting treatment rooms, care must be taken to ensure that needles and syringes are disposable and are removed from the packaging immediately in front of the patient.

Mechanism of action and development

After 6-12 months, the first symptoms of pathology appear, indicating the stage of primary infection. Signs of HIV infection at this stage include:

• periodic increase in temperature up to 37.0-37.5 °;
• the formation of stomatic ulcers in the oral cavity;
• enlargement and soreness of the lymph nodes.

Important! By the end of this stage, the concentration of antibodies and the amount of HIV are at their maximum values. Laboratory research blood during this period will help to 100% determine the infection and make the correct diagnosis.

The development of the HIV virus in the body

Further development of the pathology and stages of infection are presented in the table below.

The lymph nodes remain enlarged but become painless and firm

Active damage to the cells of the immune system begins. The protective functions of the body weaken, frequent respiratory and viral infections. Ulcers and wounds at this stage do not heal for a long time, there are frequent recurrences of herpes and candidiasis

Important! When HIV infection reaches the terminal stage, immunity drops to almost zero. During this period, death can occur even from the flu or a prolonged acute respiratory disease, so it is important to undergo the necessary examinations on time and follow all the recommendations prescribed by the doctor. This will significantly increase life expectancy and help improve its quality (as far as possible).

Video - Everything you need to know about HIV

How many live with HIV?

It is impossible to say exactly how long each individual patient will live after infection. Life expectancy is influenced by many factors, including:

• patient's age;
• lifestyle (motor activity, nutrition, smoking and alcohol abuse);
• emotional state (susceptibility to stress);
• area of ​​residence (sufficient number sunlight, favorable climate, proximity to industrial production);
• chronic diseases in history, etc.

It has been noticed that people living in cities located near the sea live longer than those who are constantly in areas with an unfavorable climate (the regions of the Far North and equivalent areas). The prognosis for the life of rural residents is also quite favorable, since most of the villages and villages are located at a sufficient distance from large industrial facilities, factories and combines. Soil, air and water in rural areas are much cleaner than in major cities, so the adverse effect environment practically impossible, and the quality of food in the villages is higher.

How to prevent the spread of HIV through blood

Fact! Villagers have the lowest percentage of infections from total number infected (less than 7%). Doctors attribute this to good environmental conditions, the absence of chronic stress and a healthy diet.

The average life expectancy of AIDS patients is about 5-10 years from the moment of infection. These figures only roughly reflect the average statistics, since there are known cases when people lived with this diagnosis to old age. Non-compliance with the recommendations of the attending physician on the regimen and treatment shortens life expectancy to 2-5 years, so the most important condition for a favorable prognosis is the correction of living conditions and lifestyle.

Maximum life expectancy with HIV

How the HIV virus works

To date, there is no data on how long a person infected with the human immunodeficiency virus can live. This is due to the fact that the first infected patients are still living. HIV was first discovered in 1983 (according to some sources - in 1981) by French scientists. Some patients who have antibodies to this virus in their blood are alive, that is, their life expectancy is almost 40 years from the moment the infection was discovered. At the same time, it is impossible to say exactly how long they were carriers of the virus until the moment of detection, therefore, to predict maximum amount years of life in AIDS patients today is impossible.

Important! Doctors are sure that with HIV infection you can live much more than the average 10 years. Subject to timely treatment, complete rejection of bad habits and respect for one's own body, life expectancy can be more than 40 years from the moment of diagnosis.

How long can you live without treatment?

Life expectancy with HIV

IN Lately The theory is gaining popularity that the immunodeficiency virus does not exist, and it was invented by scientists in collusion with the largest pharmaceutical concerns. Even people who are far from medicine understand the absurdity of such statements, but a person diagnosed with AIDS or initial stage HIV infection, clings to any straw that gives a chance for medical error.

Refusal of the proposed treatment is fraught with the most adverse consequences. Already 1-2 years after the virus enters the bloodstream, an attack on the cells of the immune system begins, which are destroyed under the influence of a viral agent. Even a common cold can cause serious complications and death of the patient at this stage, therefore, the average life expectancy for patients who refuse treatment or try to defeat the disease with non-traditional methods, does not exceed 3-4 years (in exceptional cases, these figures may be slightly higher - 5-7 years).

How long do children with HIV live?

Statistics of HIV infected people

Diagnosis of HIV infection in a child is a terrible disaster for his parents and other relatives, but do not despair and give up. With the current level of medicine, it is possible to prolong the life of a sick child and make it quite comfortable, but for this it is necessary to take courses of drug therapy in a timely manner. Medicines that can suppress the activity of the pathogen are selected experimentally - parents should not be afraid of this. Based on the results obtained, specialists will prescribe 2-3 drugs, which will need to be alternated and combined according to individual scheme. This is necessary to prevent the development of virus resistance to active ingredients. If the child has a positive trend, the drugs are prescribed for life.

In addition, parents should follow these guidelines:

• provide high-quality, complete and balanced nutrition;
• often ventilate the room and carry out its processing and disinfection;
• prevent overwork of the child;
• observe the sleep and rest regimen;
• introduce additional daytime sleep (regardless of the child's age).

HIV infection is considered to be a fatal diagnosis, but in most cases, the quality of life and its duration depend on the efforts of the patient himself and his approach to his own health. Modern methods of treatment give good therapeutic results, but even the most expensive and effective drugs will not be able to help if a person does not correct his lifestyle and give up bad habits, if any.

Video - How long can you live with a diagnosis of HIV

People with HIV: how long do they live on average?

The life expectancy of HIV-infected people in Russia depends on many factors:

• at what stage was the disease diagnosed
• when and what treatment was started
• person's age
• additional health problems and other circumstances

The answer to the question “how long can you live with HIV?” sounds much more optimistic now than in the 2000s. We tell you what life expectancy with HIV depends on and whether it can be influenced.

How long people live with HIV depending on age

Since 2000, the age distribution of new HIV cases has changed. So, in 2000, 87% of newly diagnosed patients were under 30 years old, 25% were teenagers. In 2016, 47% of people aged 30 to 40 were diagnosed with HIV, 20% of people aged 40 to 50, and the proportion of young people decreased to 23%.

Let's look at the prospects for living with HIV in different age groups.

How long do HIV-infected children live

In our country, 0.8% of the infected are children who received the virus from their mother during pregnancy and childbirth. In 2015, 47 children were infected for this reason. In 2016, it became known about an increase in cases of infection through breast milk - 59 children.

Children with HIV often end up in orphanages: their parents die from the virus, are in prison, or simply abandon their HIV-positive child. Questions “How long do children with HIV infection live? Are they dangerous to others? always worrying future adoptive parents or guardians.

There has not been a single case of HIV infection in the world in the household way: you can play with a child, hug, kiss, eat with one spoon. There will be no transmission of the infection, even if the child scratches or bites. Saliva, urine, feces, tears are biological media that are safe for others.

The difference between an HIV-infected child and a healthy one is that he takes medication 2 times a day and is observed at the AIDS center once every 3 months. If little patients follow all recommendations for treatment, then such children with HIV live as long as their biological life is allotted to them. As adults, children with HIV have every chance to give birth to healthy offspring and die in old age. More on this topic in the article "Peculiarities of the course of HIV in children."

How long do HIV-infected adults live?

The reason was the inaccessibility of HIV drugs for the majority of those infected.

Since 2005, a program has been developed and is being actively implemented to provide HIV-infected populations in poor countries with anti-HIV drugs. Thanks to these activities, the death rate from AIDS in the world by 2012 decreased by 30%.

The diagnosis of "HIV" and how long they live with it depends on a personal approach to one's health. There are cases when people were infected at the very beginning of the HIV epidemic, but they are being treated, lead a healthy lifestyle and are still alive. For example, the basketball player Magic Johnson, who has been taking antiretroviral drugs since 1991, has now dropped the virus in his blood to undetectable levels. And his case is far from the only one. People living with HIV for more than 20 years - ex-minister of Great Britain Chris Smith, composer Jerry Herman and many others.

How long do older people with HIV infection live?

Older people become infected with HIV in the same way as young people - no one is safe from the virus. Unfortunately, even if old man leads a monogamous lifestyle or does not have sex at all, then he remains at risk of transmitting the virus through the blood. Thus, in 2016, according to Rospotrebnadzor, there were 16 cases of HIV transmission with suspected infection through non-sterile medical instruments and 3 cases with suspected HIV infection through blood transfusion.

The course of the disease in the elderly is complicated by many factors:

• natural weakening of immunity with age;
• concomitant diseases that may become contraindications to the appointment of HAART (highly active antiretroviral therapy);
• worse tolerability of components of antiretroviral therapy in the elderly.

The prognosis of life with HIV in the elderly is doubtful and depends on the individual characteristics of the organism.

Determinants of how long older people with HIV live:

• the shorter the period from infection to diagnosis, the better;
• treatment is also important to start as early as possible;
• the better a person's tolerance to HAART, the greater the chance of long-term health maintenance.

How many years live with HIV depending on gender

According to statistics, women become infected with HIV at a younger age than men. However, in Russia there are more infected men than women - 2.8% and 1.3%, respectively, between the ages of 35 and 39.

How fast do men and women die of HIV?

How many years HIV-infected women or men live depends on their individual characteristics. Average life expectancy with HIV in Russia has nothing to do with gender.

How long HIV-infected people of both sexes live depends on how a person behaves: whether he takes HAART, whether he monitors blood counts, whether he leads an active life without smoking, alcohol and drugs. Also, how long HIV-infected people live is affected by other diseases from which the carrier of the virus suffers.

How many years do people with HIV and hepatitis C live?

Hepatitis C is found in 70% of HIV patients who become infected through injecting drug use. This disease, like HIV, is viral in nature and is transmitted through blood, unprotected sex, and from mother to child during pregnancy and childbirth. HIV and hepatitis C are two deadly infections that significantly reduce life expectancy if left untreated.

It is known that HIV can make the hepatitis C virus more aggressive and resistant to antiviral drugs. This accelerates the destructive processes in the liver. In turn, liver dysfunction is a contraindication to HAART. This significantly reduces the life expectancy of people with HIV and hepatitis C.

How long can you live with HIV depending on the stage of the disease?

HIV proceeds in several stages, on the basis of which a classification of the disease by stages has been developed:

1 stage - incubation period

The virus enters the body and after 14 days begins to multiply. Immunity within 3 weeks to 3 months does not react to the infection in any way, and the virus is not detected in the blood.

stage 2 - acute infection

In the body of an infected person, antibodies begin to be produced in response to the immunodeficiency virus. Further possible several options for the course of the second stage:

A. No symptoms. Antibodies are detected in the blood, but the person feels healthy.

B. Absence of secondary diseases. The stage is manifested by the appearance of a small pink rash without clear boundaries on the body, a slight fever, insomnia, fatigue, headaches, swollen lymph nodes, diarrhea. Possible symptoms of esophagitis - pain behind the sternum on an empty stomach and after eating. Another option is a meningeal symptom - photophobia, severe headaches. This stage responds well to symptomatic treatment and does not threaten health.

B. Presence of secondary diseases. The presence of diseases: tonsillitis, bacterial pneumonia, candidiasis, herpes. Before HIV turned into AIDS, these diseases are quite treatable. The greatest danger is pneumonia, which, if left untreated, can lead to lung failure and cause death.

Stage 3 - latent course or pre-AIDS

Acute manifestations subside, a person may mistakenly consider himself healthy. Enlarged lymph nodes may persist. The stage proceeds from 3 years to 20 - depending on the conditions of a person's life. If a carrier of HIV does not know about his status, during this time he can infect many people.

Stage 4 - AIDS

How long they live with this stage depends on the severity of the diseases that appear during this period. With AIDS, the immune system gradually ceases to fight infectious and other diseases. A person can die from a common cold or candidiasis. most common cause reduction in life expectancy in HIV infection in stage 4 is tuberculosis. The stage of AIDS is also divided according to the severity of clinical manifestations:

• A. Less than 10% weight loss. Attachment of external or activation of their own bacterial, fungal, viral infections.
• B. Decrease in body weight by more than 10%. Severe diarrhea for which medication does not help. Diseases such as tuberculosis, Kaposi's sarcoma join. Persistent heat within 1 month, persistent viral, fungal and bacterial infections.
• IN. A pronounced decrease in body weight: in the photo, AIDS patients before death are very emaciated, emaciated people. Various infections at this stage affect all organs and systems. Life expectancy with AIDS 4B stage is calculated in several months - the answer to the question.

Stage 5 - terminal when death from AIDS occurs.

How many years do people with AIDS live?

How long you can live with AIDS depends on the stage at which the disease was discovered and on what kind of treatment the person receives.

With AIDS stages A and B, a person's life expectancy can be several years. Everything will depend on how the body responds to treatment, as well as on the age of the patient and chronic diseases.

It is known that life expectancy with AIDS in people who live in an ecologically clean area - the sea, mountains, countryside - is higher than in patients who live in polluted large cities.

How many years do HIV-infected people live without treatment?

There is a group of people who, when asked “how long people with HIV and AIDS live”, will answer that the immunodeficiency virus is fiction and does not exist. These people are called HIV dissidents. They are dangerous to society because, by denying their own illness, they become sources of infection, do not use contraception during sex, and actively dissuade other HIV-infected people from taking HAART. The worst thing is that HIV-infected dissident mothers infect their children and do not allow them to be treated, dooming them to death.

HIV dissidents believe the "HIV myth" is a planetary conspiracy of doctors and drug companies. It is partly clear where their delusions come from: the latent stage of HIV can take up to 20 years, and at the same time a person feels quite healthy. Also, HIV dissidents claim that since death with AIDS occurs from infectious diseases, which are possible in non-HIV-infected people, then HIV is not at all to blame.

Read more about HIV dissidents and their theories in a separate article.

HIV dissidents are dangerous to society because, by denying their own illness, they become sources of infection, do not use contraception during sex, and actively dissuade other HIV-infected people from taking HAART

So HIV is death or not anymore?

So far, a drug that would completely get rid of the immunodeficiency virus has not been invented. The only remedy that can prolong life and prevent the infection from turning into AIDS for years is antiretroviral therapy.

In economically developed countries where HAART is available, HIV is no longer a deadly disease. The life expectancy of HIV-infected people in these countries is equated to that of people with other chronic diseases such as diabetes mellitus.

In Russia, the situation with HAART is different. According to information provided by Rospotrebnadzor, in 2016, only 42% of the total number of HIV-infected people in the country received antiretroviral drugs. This is absolutely not enough to contain the infection. In several Russian regions, the infection threshold has exceeded 1% of the population, which is a signal of a large-scale spread of the infection.

How long people living with HIV and AIDS live can never be said unequivocally and for everyone. Yes, HIV is a terrible diagnosis, and living with it is difficult, but possible. Antiretroviral therapy, although it cannot completely rid the body of the virus, significantly prolongs the life of an HIV-positive person. If you regularly take medicines, you can live a healthy, fulfilling life, and in addition, reduce the risk of infecting loved ones to a minimum.

Therefore, in order to live with HIV for a long time, it is extremely important to detect the disease in time and switch to regular antiretroviral drugs as soon as possible after that. In this case, you can live with HIV for about 30 years (based on real examples), but, according to modern forecasts, the lifespan of people on HAART is unlimited.

If an HIV-infected person takes their medications regularly, they will be able to live a healthy, fulfilling life. Antiretroviral therapy will reduce the risk of infecting loved ones of the infected person to a minimum

The article was written based on materials from sites: fb.ru, www.zppp.saharniy-diabet.com, med-explorer.ru, polovye-infekcii.ru.

HIV is one of the most severe infectious diseases that can significantly affect the quality and length of life. Statistics on how long and how many people live with HIV infection differ depending on many factors, including gender, age of the patient and the presence of comorbidities. The therapy offered by modern medicine is not aimed at recovery, but at stabilizing the patient's condition. The average life expectancy with HIV ranges from 2-5 to 25 years or more. Patients who are observed by a doctor and take the necessary drugs live a full life and experience almost no restrictions.

The human immunodeficiency virus is an infection that is transmitted through blood and other bodily fluids. When it enters the body, clinical signs do not appear immediately, and antibodies to it begin to be produced after 2 weeks - 1 year. At the same time, an infected person may not be aware of his illness and learn about it during a routine blood test.

There are several stages in the development of HIV:

• window period - the time from the entry of the virus into the blood until the production of antibodies;
• stage of primary infection - characterized by an increase in lymph nodes, stomatitis, rash, a slight increase in temperature;
• latent period - lasts 5-10 days, the only symptom is an increase in lymph nodes;
• pre-AIDS - the infection begins to destroy white blood cells, often accompanied by herpes;
• AIDS - the terminal stage, occurs with exacerbation of any disease and lack of immune protection.

Important! In recent years, the statistics of infections have changed. If in 2000 more than 85% of those infected were under 30 years old, today the majority of patients (47%) are people aged 30 to 40 years. The number of teenagers has also decreased.

How many live with HIV

The main cause of death among HIV-infected people is AIDS. The disease attacks the cells of the immune system, which makes the patient especially susceptible to any bacterial and viral diseases. However, modern antiretroviral drugs allow people to lead a full life and cause a minimum of side effects.

How many people live with HIV depend on several factors:

• taking medications;
• sex and age of the patient;
• the stage at which the infection was detected;
• the presence of concomitant diseases, including viral hepatitis.

If you follow the recommendations and regularly take medications, an infected person can live up to 70-80 years or more. At the same time, a person can lead a full-fledged lifestyle, experiencing only some restrictions. These measures are designed to protect the safety of others and prevent the patient from becoming infected with concomitant diseases.

How quickly men die from HIV and how long people with HIV who become ill live

Statistics on how long people with HIV live do not depend on gender. However, in Russia there are more infected men: 2.8%, compared to 1.3% of women. These data relate to the age category from 35 to 39 years. After infection, you can live long and fully, but the forecasts will be as follows:

• in the absence of treatment, the life span is a maximum of 3-4 years;
• in combination with viral hepatitis - 1-2 years;
• subject to taking drugs - 10-15 years;
• with full treatment and a healthy lifestyle - until old age.

Mortality rates in the highly active form of the disease in the later stages tend to be 100%. At risk are people who do not take therapy and have addictions (smoking, alcoholism, drug use). These factors reduce the activity of the immune system and prevent the formation of protective cells. The immunodeficiency virus does not cause death - it is caused by any other diseases, including the common flu or SARS, which occur with complications.

How quickly women die from HIV and how long they live

Indicators of how long females live with HIV and how infection occurs differ slightly. Women become infected at a younger age, but their life expectancy also depends on the use of drugs and the presence of aggravating diseases. The statistics on how many years people live with AIDS are disappointing - with such a diagnosis, few people will live more than 1-2 years.

A feature of the course of the disease in women is a short incubation period. It's connected with hormonal changes body in different phases menstrual cycle. So, during ovulation, the level of immune protection normally decreases - this mechanism is provided to prevent fetal rejection. It is at this time that the immunodeficiency virus is especially active.

The main danger for women infected with HIV is to find out about their diagnosis during pregnancy. If the infection occurred in the first trimester, the risk of transmission to the fetus is 20%, in the second - 30% and in the third reaches 70%. Infection can occur both through the placenta and during breastfeeding. Shouldn't be ignored pain during pregnancy - as well as exacerbation of herpes and other chronic diseases, they can be symptoms of HIV.

How long do children with HIV live and how long do HIV-infected newborns live

The HIV virus can be passed to the baby during pregnancy. This rate is highest when the woman becomes infected during this period or does not take antiretroviral drugs. If the mother begins treatment before pregnancy, the chances of having a healthy baby are high.

Until the age of 12, T-lymphocytes in humans are formed in thymus(thymus). An increase in this organ should be the reason for a blood test for antibodies to HIV, since it destroys precisely these cells. In adolescence, the thymus regresses, and then it gradually atrophies.

After birth, a child infected with HIV is underweight. He is also susceptible to various infectious diseases. Indicators of how long HIV-infected children live depend on the timeliness of diagnosis. Life expectancy with HIV is up to 10-15 years or more, and an infection detected in the early stages can be fought until old age.

How long can you live with HIV

How long you can live with HIV depends on the patient. The average duration is 10-15 years. Some people live full lives for years and can even give birth to healthy children. There are several factors that cause an exacerbation of the disease, which leads to death:

• drug use and other addictions;
• refusal of therapy;
• the presence of hepatitis.

Acquired Immune Defense Deficiency Syndrome - terminal stage. At this stage, the immune defense does not work due to the destruction of T-lymphocytes. The prognosis for such patients often does not exceed 1-2 years, rarely people manage to live more than 3 years.

Principles of treatment

The life expectancy of HIV-infected people directly depends on the regular intake of drugs. Despite the fact that the disease is not treated, medications should be taken without fail. In total, several classes of such drugs have been developed in the form of tablets, which are drunk several units daily. At least three drugs are prescribed. Treatment with antiretrovirals has several goals:

• reduction in viral load;
• preventing the development of the disease to the terminal stage;
• prevention of the spread of infection.

Without treatment, a person's life expectancy is significantly reduced. It was previously believed that procedures and therapy could completely rid a person of the virus. However, studies indicate that medications can only prolong the life of the patient. His condition depends on the viral load, that is, on the concentration of the infectious agent in the blood. In some patients, it becomes so low that serological studies give a false negative result. There is no medicine that completely rids a person of the virus.

Life expectancy with treatment

In Russia (RF), measures are being taken to identify those infected. In total, more than 1 million people living in the territory of the state who are carriers of the viral disease HIV are registered. Of these, more than 900 thousand receive therapy according to the accepted scheme.

Life expectancy with HIV varies from 10-15 to 25 years or more. It also depends on the age at which the disease was diagnosed. Despite the fact that it is impossible to completely cure (cure) HIV, patients have every chance to live to old age. After treatment, the viral load decreases, the pathology does not lead to complications and is not transmitted to others.

Reference! Indicators of how long people live with HIV infection depend not only on taking drugs, but also on the economic situation in the country. For example, in developed countries high level income, when infected at the age of 20, after the start of antiretroviral therapy, patients live for about 60 years, in the middle and underdeveloped - 51 years.

HIV without treatment: how long will patients live with HIV infection

To date, infected people without treatment have a poor prognosis. Those infected with this infection are prone to dangerous complications, and the virus in their body gradually progresses. Without therapy, the disease quickly passes into the terminal stage, which lasts no more than 1-2 years.

It is possible to predict the life span of a patient on the basis of two main tests:

• the number of CD4 lymphocytes - normally is 400-1600 in men and 500-1600 in women, with HIV it can decrease to 200-300;
• viral load - this indicator is checked, among other things, to assess the effectiveness of treatment.

Those who do not take drugs will live less than patients undergoing a full course of therapy. Some infected people learn about their diagnosis from a doctor and refuse to receive treatment. There are several explanations for this: fear of the side effects of drugs, distrust of the correct diagnosis, and financial aspects. For the effectiveness of therapy, the patient must not only drink medicines, but also give up bad habits.

How many people live with AIDS

Acquired immunodeficiency syndrome is the terminal stage of HIV, so the prognosis for how many people live with AIDS is unfavorable. At this stage, the cells of the immune system are destroyed and dangerous complications develop. Regardless of the effectiveness of the treatment, the life of the patient can rarely be extended beyond 6-19 months. However, do not confuse the data on how many people live with AIDS with the prognosis in the presence of HIV infection in the blood.

How life changes after infection

Although the life expectancy of infected people may not change, they are forced to comply with some restrictions. Many people have contracted this disease by following a healthy lifestyle - the transmission of the virus occurs, including through the blood during a number of procedures. The disease is often detected during routine examinations or during an HIV test of donated blood. The virus in the first period does not cause long clinical signs but can be passed on to others.

Life expectancy with this diagnosis depends on the patient, his social status and lifestyle. This factor is also related to the age of the patient. Throughout life, you should adhere to a number of recommendations:

• periodically take tests for the number of lymphocytes and viral load;
• avoid unprotected sex;
• Avoid contact with blood and other body fluids open wounds of people;
• store hygiene items and shaving accessories separately.

It is worth remembering: if you follow the recommendations of a doctor, you can live for several decades. Despite the fact that HIV is contagious, its transmission in everyday life is excluded. Living together with an infected person is safe. However, after some time, family members should also be examined.

Complications

In the first phase, HIV may be asymptomatic. At the second stage, dermatitis of the skin and mucous membranes, including on the genitals, herpes zoster and viral diseases top respiratory tract. The third stage may be accompanied by tuberculosis, candidiasis, bacterial pathologies (pneumonia, myositis).

The fourth (4) stage of this infection is AIDS. Complications caused by stages 4a, 4b and 4c of HIV include:

• pneumonia;
• candidiasis of the respiratory and digestive organs;
• cerebral (brain) toxoplasmosis;
• extrapulmonary forms of tuberculosis, cryptococcosis;
• encephalopathy;
• septicemia caused by various bacteria, and other diseases.

The last stage of HIV is the fifth. In this phase of the course of HIV, all complications acquire a generalized course and become the cause lethal outcome.

How long can you live with AIDS

The prognosis of how long you can live with AIDS does not depend on the quality of life and medication. Few of the patients manage to live more than 2 years. The cause of death is the weakening of the body's immune defenses. With the development of HIV infection, T-lymphocytes are affected, the purpose of which is to fight pathogenic microorganisms. It is also important to know that the terminal stages of the disease are more often diagnosed in disadvantaged segments of the population. In addition to exceptions, the causes of persistent progression of the infection are the use of narcotic drugs, viral hepatitis, tuberculosis and other concomitant diseases.

Improving the long term

Modern medicine is working to create the most effective and safe drugs to improve the quality of life of patients with AIDS. In high-income countries, cases of late diagnosis of the disease and death due to complications are also recorded. It should be understood that the effectiveness of therapy at the third stage (stage 3) and in the subclinical course of the infection will differ. The main way to prolong the life of a patient with HIV is to make a timely diagnosis and prescribe treatment.

How long do people with AIDS live in developed countries?

How long people living with HIV live also depends on the country in which they live. The data of the UN program on HIV/AIDS indicate that in countries of the first type (highly developed) the life expectancy of patients is equal to the general among the population. In underdeveloped countries, the period is reduced by 15-20 years or more. Death rates of people living in low-income regions are associated with unavailability of treatment and lack of information about disease prevention. However, even with the necessary therapy, the prospect in the third world countries is reduced by an average of 10 years.

Impact of HIV in the long term

Possibilities modern medicine and experiences of infected people who receive special preparations prove that it is possible to live long and fully with HIV. Immune deficiency syndrome is successfully supported by ART (antiretroviral therapy), so the quality of life of patients practically does not worsen. For patients, including the birth of healthy children, official employment and other aspects are possible.

Reference! The diagnosis of "HIV" is not a reason for refusing employment. However, there are a number of professions where this nuance will matter. These include all areas where employees are in direct contact with blood and other biological fluids: medicine and laboratory work, the armed forces.

Therapy for HIV is aimed not only at maintaining the concentration of the virus at a safe level, but also at preventing other infections. Even when the first symptoms of a common cold appear, it is necessary to pay full attention to treatment and take antibacterial drugs. Otherwise, the risk of complications with damage to various organ systems increases.

Maintaining a healthy lifestyle

Prevention of HIV infection in accordance with established rules is carried out at the legislative level. So, there are certain limitations that patients face. They exclude, among other things, insignificant risks of transmitting the virus to others. Despite the fact that the most significant mode of infection is unprotected sexual contact, patients are prohibited from working in the field of catering, education and healthcare. The possibility of getting infected by injection is about 0.3%, but these cases should also be excluded.

Taking care of your own health is the responsibility of every person. It is worth monitoring the lifestyle and habits to avoid the risk of infection:

• have sexual intercourse using mechanical contraceptives;
• periodically donate blood for analysis;
• treat all open skin lesions with antiseptics;
• give up bad habits (smoking, drinking alcohol or drugs);
• to increase immunity, pay attention to proper nutrition and an active lifestyle.

If live healthy life, observe all preventive measures and avoid risky situations, the risks of contracting this pathology are minimized. However, there remains a minimal possibility of infection transmission during a blood transfusion or hemodialysis procedure. With HIV, you can lead a full life, while you need to regularly take medications and donate blood for analysis. It is worth remembering that there are restrictions for HIV-infected people. Including the patient is obliged to notify his family members and sexual partner about his diagnosis. Hiding this information, if it leads to infection of someone from the environment, is equated to intentional harm to health. There are no contraindications to employment with this diagnosis, but at the time of employment, you must provide a certificate of your state of health.

Publication date: 03-12-2019

How long can you live with HIV infection?

There are infected people all over the world. Most often, the infection affects young people aged 18 to 30 years. This is due to the fact that most young people have an irresponsible approach to the safety of sexual intercourse. HIV is often found in people who regularly use drugs. The spread of the virus has now reached epidemic proportions. HIV is one of the most dangerous infectious diseases. First diagnosed over 30 years ago, the disease has since killed 25 million people. Most of infected live in developing countries, the lack of advanced medicine significantly reduces life expectancy with HIV.

average life expectancy

How many live with HIV? This question worries everyone who is faced with this insidious disease. It is impossible to give an exact answer to this question. You can live with HIV for 10, 15, and 20 years.
Information on life expectancy may become outdated due to the emergence of new ART methods that significantly increase the life expectancy of an infected person. In addition, this period depends on the lifestyle of the infected person and the individual characteristics of his body.

Currently, there are drugs that can suppress the reproduction of the virus. Doctors believe that it is possible to live with HIV infection for more than 35 years. People who do not receive treatment die about 10 years after infection. The exact life expectancy of patients cannot be calculated for many reasons. The infection was first discovered over 30 years ago, some infected people have lived to this day and will continue to live. Therefore, 30 years is not the limit of life expectancy, but the period of existence of the infection.

Modern drugs are able not only to stop the development of the disease, but to eliminate the symptoms caused by it. pathological changes in organism. It also happened that an infection was detected in a person at the stage of AIDS, and after treatment he could return to his usual way of life. Scientists are developing the latest highly effective drugs that will be able to completely destroy the virus in the body or take it under control. HIV infection is an incurable disease, but you can live with it for several decades. Life expectancy can be affected by: the type of virus, the patient's chronic diseases, infection with other infections.

Differences in virus types

2 types of virus with different genetic codes have been identified. In literary sources, one can find information about the existence of a third type of HIV, but it has not been confirmed.
Most likely, it is a subtype of the virus of the first or second type. When infected with HIV-1, a pronounced clinical picture. The disease caused by HIV-2 has mild symptoms, and therefore has a more favorable prognosis. Life expectancy infected with HIV-1 in the absence of treatment does not exceed 12 years. It depends on the presence of concomitant infections caused by an increase in the activity of opportunistic microorganisms.

The combination of HIV and hepatitis C is often found in people who inject drugs intravenously. Hepatitis C does not significantly affect the development of HIV infection. However, hepatitis itself in such patients develops rapidly. Hepatitis leads to serious liver damage, so both diseases must be treated simultaneously.

The constant presence of symptoms of opportunistic infections - herpes, pneumocystosis, tuberculosis or cytomegalovirus infection is considered a sign of the transition of the disease to the stage of AIDS.
This happens as a result of a critical decrease in immunity during the active reproduction of HIV. However, many years can pass from the time of infection to the time the infection passes to the next stage.

ART use

The life of the patient is greatly facilitated with the timely start of treatment and the regular intake of all drugs prescribed by the doctor. Modern methods of treatment allow avoiding the transition of the disease to the stage of acquired immunodeficiency. The main method of treatment is intervention in the vital activity of the virus by inhibiting the main protein - reversetase. There are also alternative methods of treatment - gene therapy.

Antiretroviral therapy can stop the development of the disease and increase the life expectancy of the patient.

With the correct intake of antiviral drugs, HIV-infected people enter a period of stable remission. Drugs capable of completely destroying the virus in the body are still under development, so HIV infection is currently considered incurable.

Antiretroviral therapy in our country is provided free of charge. She is appointed on the basis of the available evidence and the decision of the expert commission. Treatment may begin several years after infection. The treatment is lifelong, it is necessary to take the drugs daily, preferably at the same time. Antiretroviral therapy involves taking 3 drugs at the same time. Treatment of one HIV-infected person costs about 50 thousand rubles. per month. How do people live with HIV infection?

Limitations and opportunities

Is it possible to live a full and eventful life with HIV? Infected people can lead a normal life, subject to regular examinations, passing all the necessary tests and taking medications. It is recommended to get rid of bad habits, casual sexual contacts. Moderate physical activity, taking vitamins and natural immunostimulants are useful. To be treated or not, everyone decides for himself. However, it should be remembered that the refusal of treatment not only significantly reduces the duration of life, but also worsens its quality.

Do not despair and consider your diagnosis a death sentence. The presence of a virus in the body does not mean imminent death at a young age. To live to old age while infected, a person must lead a healthy lifestyle and take antiviral drugs After the discovery of the disease, you should not think about how long people with HIV infection live. All efforts should be directed towards preventing the occurrence of opportunistic infections. After all, they are the main cause of deaths.

During influenza epidemics, you should take immunostimulants, wear a medical mask that protects against the penetration of viruses into the respiratory organs. Accompanying illnesses should be removed at the slightest sign of them. What matters is not the life expectancy of the infected, but its quality. HIV is dangerous chronic illness, however, you can live with him for a long time, only the patient himself depends on how bright and interesting his life will be.

In cases where the disease is found in children and adolescents, it all depends on the parents, their right action aimed at treating the disease. Parents should not give up and fall into despair when they receive news of a child's terrible diagnosis. The most important condition for increasing the effectiveness of treatment is the creation of a favorable microclimate in the family.

Infection with the immunodeficiency virus is a diagnosis that sounds like a sentence. Is this true, and what is the life expectancy of HIV-infected people? It is important for patients and their families to know the answers to these questions.

On the Eurasian continent, in the North and South America HIV type 1 is common. About him and will be discussed.

The physiological and anatomical features of the body determine how quickly the virus will progress, and how long the carrier can live after infection. The prognosis depends not only on the age of the patient, but also on the mood to fight. Patients living a long and happy life with a diagnosis of "HIV" are known.

How many years do children live with HIV

A disappointing prospect awaits babies who have inherited HIV from their parents.

• The worst prognosis is for babies who contract the virus from their mothers in utero. In this case, the symptoms appear almost immediately after birth. The disease progresses rapidly. The death of the patient or the stage of AIDS occurs within 3 years. (15-20% of HIV-positive children).
• The virus is transmitted to the baby during childbirth or through the mother's breast milk. Children infected in early age, in 75-80% of cases live for about 10 years.
• In 5% of HIV-positive babies with quality treatment, symptoms do not appear at all.

The lifespan of children with HIV largely depends on the efforts of parents. To avoid terrible consequences, the disease should be detected as early as possible. When registering, all pregnant women are given a referral for a blood test that detects HIV infection. When positive result the expectant mother is observed by an infectious disease specialist.

To avoid infection of the fetus in the mother's womb, a woman is prescribed treatment during pregnancy from the 2nd trimester. Exact adherence to the doctor's recommendations increases the chances of having a healthy baby up to 75%. If infection of the fetus could not be avoided, the adherence of parents to treatment allows the child to prolong the asymptomatic phase of the disease.

How long do HIV-infected adults live?

Many adults live with HIV infection for 5-10 years after being infected, without even knowing they are infected. Further, the disease begins to progress, sometimes quite quickly. AIDS is the final stage in the development of HIV infection. At this stage, the immune system is completely suppressed. Without qualified medical care, people with AIDS live from 6 to 18 months. This is the time of onset of the painful consequences of the disease. The period of calm existence largely depends on the patient. Patients who persist in the struggle for years win active longevity. By following the recommendations on nutrition, taking medications, adhering to a healthy lifestyle, carriers live up to 75-80 years. At the same time, the average life expectancy of healthy people in Russia is 70 years.

To maintain the health of those infected, highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART) is practiced, which involves:

• course continuity;
• simultaneous intake of several drugs (3-4 names);
• continuous monitoring of viral load.

How long do older people with AIDS live?

Before the advent of modern drugs to fight HIV, it was noted that those who were infected at an older age, the disease progressed faster. As we age, the immune system naturally weakens. ART drugs blur this distinction. Quality treatment slows down the course of the disease in old age.

Older people are more responsible for their health than young people. In high-income countries, pensioners can afford natural and fresh food, expensive medicines and vitamins. This allows you to significantly extend the life and preserve its colors.

How long can you live with HIV depending on gender

Gender (sex) difference was noted before the advent of effective therapy. It was found that with the same concentration of the virus in the blood of women, the disease progressed faster.

This was explained by a lower immune status - an indicator of the number of CD4 receptors. The immune status indicates how many T-lymphocytes are present in the body. These cells fight viruses and bacteria and are the first to die when they encounter HIV molecules. The defense system of the fairer sex reproduced lymphocytes in smaller quantities. The immune status declined faster.

By selecting antiretroviral therapy depending on the sex of infected people, doctors managed to extend the life of both women and men by several decades. With adequate medical support, there are no differences in life expectancy with HIV infection by gender.

How long, depending on the stage of the disease, can you live with AIDS

The first stage occurs shortly after the virus cells enter the body. The duration depends on the individual characteristics and the amount of viral protein. 1-4 weeks after infection, vivid manifestations of symptoms develop:

• viral or fungal diseases in the oral cavity;
• diarrhea;
• elevated temperature;
• headaches, etc.

1. After the invasion of the virus, an adequate immune response occurs. A sufficient amount of antibodies to HIV is formed in the body. The defense system copes with the primary manifestations, after which the latent stage begins. It is important not to miss dangerous symptoms and start antiretroviral therapy as early as possible.
2. When HIV infection enters the latent stage, clinical symptoms disappear. This is the main danger. The asymptomatic stage can last ten years. Then the disease, not treated, begins to develop rapidly. The term of the latent phase is predicted only by a doctor.
3. AIDS is the last phase of the development of HIV infection (stage 4). At this stage, the immune system does not cope with its functions. The body no longer fights attacking viruses. A person suffers from inflammation of the lymph nodes, pneumonia and many other diseases. This phase is short (from several months to several years) and fills the patient's days with suffering. An infected person should make every effort to delay its onset or avoid it altogether.
4. Another rapidly progressing form of the disease is turbo HIV. This is the name given to the combination of the extreme stage of HIV development with tuberculosis. When these diseases are combined, patients “burn out” before our eyes. But there are cases of successful struggle even in such a difficult situation, when the patient's adherence to treatment allowed him to gain time.

How many years do AIDS-infected people live without treatment?

Life expectancy with AIDS largely depends on the lifestyle of the patient. The term of a measured life depends on the attitude to the situation.

If an infected person does not want to visit a doctor and refuses help, he shortens his carefree days. The procedures that therapy involves should be carried out as a continuous course, and not episodically. The final is rapidly approaching when taking drugs and alcohol. It happens that without treatment the patient lives for 10 years. But when the virus is activated, the onset of the AIDS stage is already difficult to prevent.

If you start antiretroviral therapy late, the effect of it is reduced. It is difficult to say how many months or years you will be able to live.

So far, there are no drugs against HIV that destroy the disease completely. But physicians are working day by day to create new methods of treatment. Every month and year, won back from a fatal illness, gives hope for healing. It is important not to give up and be firm in the fight for the future.

It is impossible to completely cure HIV, but there are ways to stop the development of infection for a long time. A responsible approach to health gives hope to live to deep gray hair, avoiding the painful consequences of the disease.

How long can you live with HIV?

When a person learns about the diagnosis that a doctor puts on him, various questions immediately arise in his head.

If he is told that he has the flu or pyelonephritis, he asks how he can be treated and how soon he can recover. But if a person is given a terrible diagnosis, such as HIV infection, then completely different questions arise, for example, how much longer do I have to live?

If you ask this question to the doctor, of course, he will not be able to answer it absolutely accurately. He can only give examples. On average, a person with HIV, if he does not take ARV drugs, can live no more than 10 years. Although life expectancy with HIV is very individual. Some will not live even 3 years. It all depends on many factors, including: lifestyle, how strong a person’s immunity is, how he eats properly, and so on. And, as practice shows, most often people die not from HIV or AIDS, but from opportunistic, i.e. concomitant diseases.

But today there are a number of drugs that can fight the human immunodeficiency virus, they have even been combined into a separate class of therapy. These are drugs that fight retroviruses, which include HIV. Antiretroviral therapy is developing every year and is very effective in the treatment of HIV. ARV therapy works in such a way that, first of all, it lowers the viral load, i.e. reduces the amount of viral agents in the body. And secondly, antiretroviral drugs tone up the immune system, thereby increasing the number of lymphocytes in the blood. It is the presence in the blood of a sufficient number of lymphocytes that ensures the fight against opportunistic diseases.

If antiretroviral therapy is not taken, it can lead to various negative consequences. Firstly, viral load will grow, eventually leading to AIDS. AIDS is the last stage of HIV infection and usually leads to death. In addition, due to the high content of the virus in the blood, the risk of transmitting it to someone becomes much higher than for those who keep the HIV content within the acceptable range. And secondly, there will be a gradual decrease in the number of lymphocytes. If immune status above 350 CD4, then the immune system is working quite normally, but it is susceptible to some pathogens that can cause diarrhea and weight loss. If the immune status falls below 200, then the risk of developing pneumonia increases significantly, with a status below 100, serious diseases develop that can lead to death.

It is clear that only proper treatment and self-care, a person can live the number of years that he was allotted. HIV is a terrible chronic disease, but it can be contained, it can be lived with. The oldest person with HIV in Russia today is 97 years old. Of course, it is impossible to say with 100% certainty how long an HIV-positive person can live. If only because not much time has passed since the discovery of HIV, but today there are people in the world who have lived for more than 30 years, i.e. almost from the moment of discovery of the infection to the present. This became possible only with the use of antiretroviral drugs, as well as subject to certain requirements, including: proper nutrition, the absence of bad habits, sports and so on. The main conclusion: monitor your health and follow all the recommendations given by the doctor.