Life Expectancies Soar For HIV+

According to a study by Britain's University of Bristol, life expectancies for people with HIV have increased by 15 years. The average person who begins anti-HIV therapy at age 20 can now expect to live at least another 46 years.

A team led by Dr Margaret May looked at the average 20-year-old starting treatment with anti-retroviral drugs between 1996-1999 and 2006-2008. Between 1996 and 1999, the average life expectancy was 30 years. Ten years later, this had risen to almost 46 years. The research found substantial differences in life expectancy for men and women. Between 1996 and 2008, men had a 40-year life expectancy, while women’s life expectancy was 50 years. Life expectancy is calculated as the expected number of years of life remaining at a given age.

NOTE: You can expect that the NARTH crowd and their ilk will misquote this study to claim that HIV-positive people die at age 46.