Habits That Could Cause An HIV Positive Individual An Untimely Death

The idea that receiving an HIV diagnosis means your life is over and should be forgotten. HIV-positive people are increasingly living longer and in better health thanks to the development of antiretroviral therapy, especially if they begin treatment early and adhere to it religiously.

However, several behaviours HIV-positive patients exhibit can shorten their life expectancy and render their treatment ineffective. To extend your life, you should refrain from living certain habits. I’d like to educate you on a few of these practises in this article, per Verywell Health.

1. Delaying medical care

One of the most frequent errors made by HIV-positive individuals is this one. When HIV treatment is initiated in the early stages of infection, when the CD4 count is high, it is most successful. Early HIV treatment has a strong propensity to prolong life.

2. Smoking

According to research, people with HIV who smoke run a higher risk of dying younger than people with HIV who do not smoke. An HIV patient loses 12 years of life on average because of smoking.

3. Use of Injectable Drugs

HIV-positive people who inject drugs into their bodies run a higher risk of contracting infections and live twice as short lives as those who do not. Additionally, these people are at a higher risk of contracting hepatitis C and other immune-depleting blood-borne illnesses like syphilis.