How long a person with HIV can live depends on whether or not he or she is treated. If the patient is not treated, the incubation period is about 9 years on average, and after the incubation period enters the AIDS stage, the average survival period is only 12-18 months. If HIV carriers are treated with antiviral drugs as soon as they are diagnosed with AIDS, taking antiviral drugs can inhibit the replication of the virus in the patient’s body for a long time, so that the immune system gradually recovers and the CD4+ T-lymphocyte count gradually rises to the level of a normal person, the patient will not be prone to opportunistic infections and the life expectancy can even be close to that of a normal person. As long as patients take the medication daily and go to the hospital for regular review, they can have the same quality of life as normal people.