I just found out my mom is HIV+. She was diagnosed when i was 4...I am now 20. It's extremely overwhelming and I am now realizing how much I really don't know about the disease. I have so many questions... but for starters- Does a positive HIV test automatically mean she will have AIDS? I do apologize I'm sure you guys here the same questions over and over but if anyone does answer thank you very much =)

Hello. A positive test does not mean she will get AIDS. Is she on medications? Based on my studies, if she has a very good diet (I recommend a lot of green tea for her, especially if she's on medications, because it is somewhat toxic) and exercise she should be fine. People have exaggerated the horrors of HIV infection. I do recommend suppliments of : echinacea, green tea and garlic pills. This combination decreases the possibilities of bacterial infection, boosts the immune system and is a powerful antioxidant. SHE MUST NOT SMOKE. My friends who were HIV+ and smoked had many, many illnesses and complications. I say 'were' because they are gone now. My friends who are HIV+ at this writing (who do not smoke) are all healthy and fine. HIV is not the death sentence it once was, you MUST keep that in mind.

Good luck to you both, Mr. Devine

Hello Curious.

A bit of disagreement with Mr. Devine, it is true that an HIV diagnosis does automatically mean an AIDS diagnosis, unfortuately, in the vast majority of the cases, the progression to AIDS from HIV is inevitable. However, as Mr.Devine mentions, diet, lifestyle, and medications can make a big difference when it comes to life expectancy.

I dont know about all the natural stuff being recommended. So I'll let that one go by. Some people I know are not even in medication or perform an "interrupted" medication regime...based on CD4 counts and overall health performance, this closely monitored by their doctors.

So again, based on her age, I'm assuming she's up in the 40's, I would venture to say that it is also very possible she'll be able to have a normal lifespan, its even more likely for one of us to die first from any other cause. The key here is for her to try to live as healthy as possible. Smoking is out of the question, no smoke, no drinking, etc.

Congratulations for wanting to know more about this dreadful disease and wanting to help your mom in anything you can. with this in mind, remember that all of us are also not exempt of getting this disease, poor decisions are made every day, so that goes for you too, take care of your life. OK?

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Best wishes.

[This message has been edited by anyone (edited 07-21-2003).]