What is the maximum number of years that has been lived by an HIV positive person on anti-retroviral or not?

A very small minority of the population would live their normal lifespan with HIV. If your fortunate enough to have a a particular gene CCR5-Delta 32 then your body will not go down rapidly to AIDS... if your lucky enough to have two copies of the gene then your pretty much immune from ever getting AIDS, though you could still be infected with HIV.

So in one respect the answer would be a hundred years... though that is only for the very select few people. In general you could probably expect 20+ years if you were not a carrier of the gene and took reasonable steps to prolong your life. In theory you could also raise someone in a sterile environment and they could live a normal life span even with HIV and no treatment since the desease doesn't actually kill you it only destroys your immune system.... dying from AIDS is really dying from something as simple as a cold but ends up killing you because your immune system is gone.

before the meds it was like 8 years tops - now people on meds have lived 23+ years and are still as healthy as if they were just diagnosed - TAKE THE MEDS!! aids is not s death sentence anymore...dont smoke or drink and eat healthy etc, you'll do great

Majic Johnson is still alive and I think he has had HIV for 20+ years.

It depends on the person and how soon after contracting HIV that you start the medications. It's possible to live a long Healthy Life with HIV if your are taking the Meds. Researchers at Emory University's Center for AIDS Research says their studies indicate people live on average 24 years after being diagnosed with HIV. Since 1993 the average life span after diagnosis has more than tripled from 7 years to 24 years, a testament to more effective treatments and better HIV care. However,the researcher continue to work on new treatments and they have had many break through over the last several years coming closer to finding vaccination or possible cure..
Taking meds can really increase your chance of a healthy life as well as eating right, and exersice.
So check out all the site and get the information. You'd be surpise who has it.. and you don't even know.

There was one gentlemen I saw on a TV program in December of 2007 hosted by Kaiser Permenante who is living with the HIV virus for the past 26 years. Magic Johnson is living with HIV virus for 15 years now. People are living long and strong with HIV. Partly because of the new drugs and the fact that they've made it as simple as taking 1 pill a day.

If you don't know your status, find out. Don't put it off. Knowing is half the battle in stopping the spread of this disease. It'll put your mind at ease and help you with a lot of your concerns. HIV is a health concern, not a death sentence. We should all, negative or positive, be practicing safe sex. Be smart, be safe and wrap it up.

Many people live perfectly normal lives even without treatment. It is rare and poorly understood, however and is not currently recommended.

People are living longer and longer. I believe a lot of that is due to the 'cocktail' AND to the fact that HIV people are staying at work, living a 'normal' life. I mean, my relative is totally loved by our family, comes over all the time, is never left out of things, loves and is loved. I think lack of so much stress helps out any illness.