How long does it take for HIV to turn into AIDS? If left untreated, human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) almost alwayswill progress to AIDS, even after many years.The immune defenses become compromised and the body is less able to defend itself against life-threatening infections.

On average, withoutantiretroviralmedications, chronic HIV will progress to AIDS in about 10 years, though that may be faster in some people.That said, there are now 39 million people living with HIV globally and, in many nations, the infection can be managed as a chronic disease.

2:51Understanding HIV and AIDS

2:51

Understanding HIV and AIDS

Factors Affecting HIV Progression

Generally speaking, the time it takes to go from HIV infection to AIDS is around five to 10 years if no medical intervention is made. Some people will develop AIDS faster or slower, depending on factors that include:

Other factors may be at work, too. They include education level, social and family support, thestigmaaffecting men who have sex with men (MSM), and mental health challenges. A person’s genetic history, or the genetic strain of HIV involved with infection, also affect AIDS progression.

Timeline on HIV Progressing to AIDSWithout treatment, how HIV progresses to AIDS can be described in three ways. The timelines include:Typical, in a window that lasts five to 10 yearsRapid, lasting three to five yearsLong-term non-progression, lasting more than 10 years. This occurs in only 1% to 5% of HIV infections as people remain asymptomatic and the virus levels stay low.

Timeline on HIV Progressing to AIDS

Without treatment, how HIV progresses to AIDS can be described in three ways. The timelines include:Typical, in a window that lasts five to 10 yearsRapid, lasting three to five yearsLong-term non-progression, lasting more than 10 years. This occurs in only 1% to 5% of HIV infections as people remain asymptomatic and the virus levels stay low.

Without treatment, how HIV progresses to AIDS can be described in three ways. The timelines include:

Stages of HIV Infection

The stages of infection from person to person vary slightly, both in severity and the speed of progression. These stages map the depletion of CD4 T-cells and other evidence of illness.

With each progression, the risk of opportunistic infections (OIs) increases until the immune system is said to be fully compromised. It is at this stage that the risk of life-threatening illness and death are high. Stages of infection include:

Treating HIV Infection

Antiretroviral drugs are the mainstay of HIV treatment, although not all medications are as effective for HIV-2 strains as they are for HIV-1, which has long been the target of drug development.

With ART, people living with HIV can experience normal to near-normal lifespans and limit the chance of transmitting the infection to zero.The Food and Drug Administration has approved:

A number of combination medications, as well as drugs meant to make another HIV medication more effective, also are approved for HIV treatment.

Drugs used for prevention include pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) and post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP). They don’t treat HIV but are designed to limit risk in people who may be exposed to HIV.

HIV VaccinesThe FDA has not approved either therapeutic or preventive vaccines for HIV, but these drugs remain under investigation. Clinical trials of these vaccines are ongoing, and more research is needed to understand how they affect the progression of HIV to AIDS.

HIV Vaccines

The FDA has not approved either therapeutic or preventive vaccines for HIV, but these drugs remain under investigation. Clinical trials of these vaccines are ongoing, and more research is needed to understand how they affect the progression of HIV to AIDS.

Summary

In most people, HIV will progress to AIDS within five to 10 years without treatment. There are people who experience rapid progression within three to five years, and there are others who remain symptom-free for 10 years or more.

Treatment, however, has changed expectations about HIV infection. Most people who receive ART medications can expect to have a normal or near-normal life expectancy, although prognosis depends on age, HIV strain, access to care, and other factors. Talk with your healthcare provider about HIV diagnosis and treatment options.

10 SourcesVerywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.World Health Organization.HIV and AIDS.National Institutes of Health.The Stages of HIV Infection.Harper J, Betts MR, Lichterfeld M, Müller-Trutwin M, Margolis D, Bar KJ,et al.Progress Note 2024: Curing HIV; Not in My Lifetime or Just Around the Corner?Pathog Immun. 2024 Mar 1;8(2):115-157. doi:10.20411/pai.v8i2.665Jia XC, Xia ZH, Shi N, Wang YP, Luo ZX, Yang YL,et al.The factors associated with natural disease progression from HIV to AIDS in the absence of ART, a propensity score matching analysis.Epidemiol Infect. 2020 Feb 24;148:e57. doi:10.1017/S0950268820000540Bbosa N, Kaleebu P, Ssemwanga D.HIV subtype diversity worldwide.Curr Opin HIV AIDS. 2019 May;14(3):153-160. doi:10.1097/COH.0000000000000534CDC. Patient Information Sheet.Information about acute HIV infection and PReP.Moranguinho I, Taveira N, Bártolo I.Antiretroviral Treatment of HIV-2 Infection: Available Drugs, Resistance Pathways, and Promising New Compounds.Int J Mol Sci. 2023 Mar 21;24(6):5905. doi:10.3390/ijms24065905Rodger A., Cambiano V, Bruun T, et al.Risk of HIV transmission through condomless sex in serodifferent gay couples with the HIV-positive partner taking suppressive antiretroviral therapy (PARTNER): final results of a multicentre, prospective, observational study.Lancet.2019;pii:S0140-6736(19)30418-0. doi:10.1016/S0140-6736(19)30418-0National Institutes of Health.FDA-Approved HIV Medicines.HIV Vaccine Trials Network.HIV Vaccine Myths and Facts.Additional ReadingThe Antiretroviral Therapy Cohort Collaboration.Survival of HIV-positive patients starting antiretroviral therapy between 1996 and 2013: A collaborative analysis of cohort studies. The Lancet. 2017;4(8);PE349-E356. doi:/10.1016/S2352-3018/17/930066-8

10 Sources

Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.World Health Organization.HIV and AIDS.National Institutes of Health.The Stages of HIV Infection.Harper J, Betts MR, Lichterfeld M, Müller-Trutwin M, Margolis D, Bar KJ,et al.Progress Note 2024: Curing HIV; Not in My Lifetime or Just Around the Corner?Pathog Immun. 2024 Mar 1;8(2):115-157. doi:10.20411/pai.v8i2.665Jia XC, Xia ZH, Shi N, Wang YP, Luo ZX, Yang YL,et al.The factors associated with natural disease progression from HIV to AIDS in the absence of ART, a propensity score matching analysis.Epidemiol Infect. 2020 Feb 24;148:e57. doi:10.1017/S0950268820000540Bbosa N, Kaleebu P, Ssemwanga D.HIV subtype diversity worldwide.Curr Opin HIV AIDS. 2019 May;14(3):153-160. doi:10.1097/COH.0000000000000534CDC. Patient Information Sheet.Information about acute HIV infection and PReP.Moranguinho I, Taveira N, Bártolo I.Antiretroviral Treatment of HIV-2 Infection: Available Drugs, Resistance Pathways, and Promising New Compounds.Int J Mol Sci. 2023 Mar 21;24(6):5905. doi:10.3390/ijms24065905Rodger A., Cambiano V, Bruun T, et al.Risk of HIV transmission through condomless sex in serodifferent gay couples with the HIV-positive partner taking suppressive antiretroviral therapy (PARTNER): final results of a multicentre, prospective, observational study.Lancet.2019;pii:S0140-6736(19)30418-0. doi:10.1016/S0140-6736(19)30418-0National Institutes of Health.FDA-Approved HIV Medicines.HIV Vaccine Trials Network.HIV Vaccine Myths and Facts.Additional ReadingThe Antiretroviral Therapy Cohort Collaboration.Survival of HIV-positive patients starting antiretroviral therapy between 1996 and 2013: A collaborative analysis of cohort studies. The Lancet. 2017;4(8);PE349-E356. doi:/10.1016/S2352-3018/17/930066-8

Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.

World Health Organization.HIV and AIDS.National Institutes of Health.The Stages of HIV Infection.Harper J, Betts MR, Lichterfeld M, Müller-Trutwin M, Margolis D, Bar KJ,et al.Progress Note 2024: Curing HIV; Not in My Lifetime or Just Around the Corner?Pathog Immun. 2024 Mar 1;8(2):115-157. doi:10.20411/pai.v8i2.665Jia XC, Xia ZH, Shi N, Wang YP, Luo ZX, Yang YL,et al.The factors associated with natural disease progression from HIV to AIDS in the absence of ART, a propensity score matching analysis.Epidemiol Infect. 2020 Feb 24;148:e57. doi:10.1017/S0950268820000540Bbosa N, Kaleebu P, Ssemwanga D.HIV subtype diversity worldwide.Curr Opin HIV AIDS. 2019 May;14(3):153-160. doi:10.1097/COH.0000000000000534CDC. Patient Information Sheet.Information about acute HIV infection and PReP.Moranguinho I, Taveira N, Bártolo I.Antiretroviral Treatment of HIV-2 Infection: Available Drugs, Resistance Pathways, and Promising New Compounds.Int J Mol Sci. 2023 Mar 21;24(6):5905. doi:10.3390/ijms24065905Rodger A., Cambiano V, Bruun T, et al.Risk of HIV transmission through condomless sex in serodifferent gay couples with the HIV-positive partner taking suppressive antiretroviral therapy (PARTNER): final results of a multicentre, prospective, observational study.Lancet.2019;pii:S0140-6736(19)30418-0. doi:10.1016/S0140-6736(19)30418-0National Institutes of Health.FDA-Approved HIV Medicines.HIV Vaccine Trials Network.HIV Vaccine Myths and Facts.

World Health Organization.HIV and AIDS.

National Institutes of Health.The Stages of HIV Infection.

Harper J, Betts MR, Lichterfeld M, Müller-Trutwin M, Margolis D, Bar KJ,et al.Progress Note 2024: Curing HIV; Not in My Lifetime or Just Around the Corner?Pathog Immun. 2024 Mar 1;8(2):115-157. doi:10.20411/pai.v8i2.665

Jia XC, Xia ZH, Shi N, Wang YP, Luo ZX, Yang YL,et al.The factors associated with natural disease progression from HIV to AIDS in the absence of ART, a propensity score matching analysis.Epidemiol Infect. 2020 Feb 24;148:e57. doi:10.1017/S0950268820000540

Bbosa N, Kaleebu P, Ssemwanga D.HIV subtype diversity worldwide.Curr Opin HIV AIDS. 2019 May;14(3):153-160. doi:10.1097/COH.0000000000000534

CDC. Patient Information Sheet.Information about acute HIV infection and PReP.

Moranguinho I, Taveira N, Bártolo I.Antiretroviral Treatment of HIV-2 Infection: Available Drugs, Resistance Pathways, and Promising New Compounds.Int J Mol Sci. 2023 Mar 21;24(6):5905. doi:10.3390/ijms24065905

Rodger A., Cambiano V, Bruun T, et al.Risk of HIV transmission through condomless sex in serodifferent gay couples with the HIV-positive partner taking suppressive antiretroviral therapy (PARTNER): final results of a multicentre, prospective, observational study.Lancet.2019;pii:S0140-6736(19)30418-0. doi:10.1016/S0140-6736(19)30418-0

National Institutes of Health.FDA-Approved HIV Medicines.

HIV Vaccine Trials Network.HIV Vaccine Myths and Facts.

The Antiretroviral Therapy Cohort Collaboration.Survival of HIV-positive patients starting antiretroviral therapy between 1996 and 2013: A collaborative analysis of cohort studies. The Lancet. 2017;4(8);PE349-E356. doi:/10.1016/S2352-3018/17/930066-8

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