How long can you live with HIV?
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. This may; however, vary from person to person. Many factors affect survival:
- Genes
- Mental health
- Drug or alcohol abuse
- Superinfection with another HIV strain
- Nutrition
- Age
- Treatment
With the increasing use of antiretroviral therapy (ART) and the introduction of better antiviral regimens, survival with HIV infection has increased over time. The survival, however, is not yet equivalent to that in uninfected individuals.
What are the four stages of HIV?
HIV infection can present in the following four stages:
- This is the earliest stage of HIV infection.
- It appears generally within two to four weeks after HIV infection.
- The symptoms during this stage include:
- Fever
- Headache
- Rash
- Body ache
- Sore throat
- Headache
- Swollen lymph nodes (glands that protect from infections; they can be felt when swollen in the armpits, groin and neck)
- In the acute stage, the virus multiplies rapidly and spreads throughout the body.
- HIV targets and destroys the CD4 cells (the infection-fighting cells of the immune system); in this stage of HIV infection, the level of HIV in the blood is very high. The high levels increase the risk of HIV transmission or spread.
- This is the best stage to start ART because this stage gives significant health benefits.
Chronic HIV infection
- This is the stage of asymptomatic HIV infection or clinical latency.
- In this stage, the symptoms of stage one go away but the HIV infection continues to multiply in the body, though at very low levels.
- The symptoms subside as the virus overpowers the immune system and progressively kills the CD4 cells to destroy the body’s immunity.
- If ART is not given, a chronic HIV infection usually advances to AIDS in 10 years or longer. In some people, however, it may advance faster.
- If ART is administered, the person may stay in this stage for several decades.
- Although it is still possible to transmit HIV to others during this stage, taking ART exactly as prescribed will maintain an undetectable viral load in the person. So, they have an effectively negligible risk of transmitting HIV to an HIV-negative partner through sex.
Moderately symptomatic stage
- In this stage, due to disease progression, certain symptoms appear:
- Weight loss that is greater than 10% of the person’s total body weight
- Prolonged (more than one month) of unexplained diarrhea
- Tuberculosis and other severe infections of the lungs, kidney, brain, bones, and joints
- Yeast infections
- Mouth ulcers
- Swollen and painful gums
- Acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS) is the final and most severe stage of HIV.
- In this stage, HIV reduces CD4 cell counts to very low levels (less than 200 units), which severely damages the immune system.
- The weak immune system cannot fight bacteria, viruses and fungi that are unable to cause diseases in other healthy people (opportunistic infections). Opportunistic infections are infections and infection-related cancers that occur more frequently or are more severe in people with weakened immune systems than in people with healthy immune systems.
- 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.
What is the window period for HIV?
The window period refers to the time after the HIV infection, when the presence of HIV in the blood cannot be detected by a diagnostic test. It takes a different amount of time for HIV to show up on different HIV tests. The length of the window period depends on the type of test a person takes. The advanced tests (called the fourth-generation tests) can give an accurate result within four weeks of the infection, while others may take two to three months.
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HIV/AIDS History
Get a historical overview of the HIV/AIDS pandemic from human contraction to the present through this slideshow of pictures.
Can I Get HIV From Surfaces?
Studies proved that HIV cannot be transmitted through surfaces such as toilet seats, chairs, doorknobs, drinking glasses and bedsheets. The virus cannot survive outside a human host; hence, transmission through air, water (swimming pools), insect bite or casual contacts such as handshake, hug or touch is not possible.
What Are HIV & AIDS? Symptoms, Treatment, and Prevention
HIV, or human immunodeficiency virus, causes acquired immunodeficiency syndrome, or AIDS. Learn about HIV symptoms, HIV test, HIV positive, being HIV positive, how HIV infection spreads, T-Cell counts, antiretroviral therapy (ART), viral load, Truveda, and other HIV/AIDS therapies.
HIV Testing
HIV antibody tests detect antibodies the body produces to neutralize the virus. HIV RNA testing uses polymerase chain reaction to detect HIV RNA in a person's blood. It usually takes one to three days to get results.
HIV vs. AIDS
Human immunodeficiency virus causes HIV infection. Acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) is a condition that results after HIV has extensively damaged a person's immune system. Risk factors for HIV and AIDS include use of contaminated needles or syringes, unprotected sex, STDs, receiving a blood transfusion prior to 1985 in the United States, having many sex partners, and transmission from a mother to her child.
How Do You Feel When You Have HIV?
About four weeks after contracting HIV (human immunodeficiency virus), you may experience flu-like symptoms including fever, rash, sore throat, nausea, swollen glands and achy joints. You may remain symptomless for some time, however. That doesn't mean you don't need treatment; HIV can quickly progress into AIDS, in which the immune system collapses and you die of a secondary cancer or infection.
How Long Does It Take to See Signs of HIV?
The signs and symptoms of HIV may first appear within two to four weeks of infection. The stage in which the symptoms appear is called the stage of acute HIV infection. The symptoms appear due to the resistance or fight of the immune system against HIV. Early diagnosis and treatment of HIV gets the best results.
Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV)
HIV (human immunodeficiency virus) infection left untreated causes AIDS (acquired immunodeficiency syndrome). The human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) is a type of virus called a retrovirus, which can infect humans when it comes in contact with tissues that line the vagina, anal area, mouth, or eyes, or through a break in the skin. HIV infection is generally a slowly progressive disease in which the virus is present throughout the body at all stages of the disease. Three stages of HIV infection have been described. The initial stage of infection (primary infection), which occurs within weeks of acquiring the virus, often is characterized by the flu- or mono-like illness that generally resolves within weeks. The stage of chronic asymptomatic infection (meaning a long duration of infection without symptoms) lasts an average of eight to 10 years without treatment. The stage of symptomatic infection, in which the body's immune (or defense) system has been suppressed and complications have developed, is called the acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS). The symptoms are caused by the complications of AIDS, which include one or more unusual infections or cancers, severe loss of weight, and intellectual deterioration (called dementia). When HIV grows (that is, by reproducing itself), it acquires the ability to change (mutate) its own structure. These mutations enable the virus to become resistant to previously effective drug therapy. The goals of drug therapy are to prevent damage to the immune system by the HIV virus and to halt or delay the progress of the infection to symptomatic disease. Therapy for HIV includes combinations of drugs that decrease the growth of the virus to such an extent that the treatment prevents or markedly delays the development of viral resistance to the drugs. The best combination of drugs for HIV are those that effectively suppress viral replication in the blood and also are well tolerated and simple to take so that people can take the medications consistently without missing doses.
What Are the Four Stages of HIV?
The World Health Organization (WHO) classifies human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) into four stages. Stage 1 (HIV infection): The CD4+ cell count is at least 500 cells per microliter. Stage 2 (HIV infection): The CD4+ cell count is 350 to 499. Stage 3 (advanced HIV disease or AHD): The CD4+ cell count is 200 to 349. Stage 4 (Acquired immunodeficiency syndrome [AIDS]): The CD4+ cell count is less than 200.
What Foods Should HIV Patients Avoid?
People living with HIV face several health challenges because their bodies must work harder to fight infections. HIV patients should avoid foods high in sodium, sugar, and trans and saturated fats.
What Is the Difference Between HIV-1 and HIV-2?
There are two main types of the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), HIV-1 and HIV-2. HIV-1 is the most common type of HIV and accounts for 95% of all infections, whereas HIV-2 is relatively uncommon and less infectious. HIV-2 is mainly concentrated in West Africa, is less deadly and progresses more slowly.
Should I Be Worried About Pregnancy if I Used a Condom?
Condoms are a popular method of birth control. If used correctly, there's about a 2 percent risk of becoming pregnant while using a condom, but it's a good idea to use another method of birth control along with it. Condoms are probably the most effective means for preventing human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and other sexually transmitted infections (STIs), as long as they are used correctly during sex.