Keep in mind that we cannot ethically study whether or not the virus has become less deadly. For the last 10-15+ years, "test and treat" has been the law of the land (it's taken longer to get set up and running in many parts of the world, but now test and treat is everywhere). "Test and Treat" means that as soon as you are shown to be living with HIV, you are immediately counseled and referred for antiretroviral therapy, which has dramatically improved survival rates in nearly everyone. HIV is a manageable infection now, and post-infection life expectancies are now similar to pre-infection life expectancies.
So you're very much comparing apples (HIV and AIDS in the 80s, 90s, and 00s, depending on where you lived) to oranges (HIV and AIDS now).
Source: infectious disease epidemiologist working on HIV/AIDS for 25+ years
pancakeonions t1_jd4wg3k wrote
Reply to Has the HIV virus become less deadly? by shaun3000
Keep in mind that we cannot ethically study whether or not the virus has become less deadly. For the last 10-15+ years, "test and treat" has been the law of the land (it's taken longer to get set up and running in many parts of the world, but now test and treat is everywhere). "Test and Treat" means that as soon as you are shown to be living with HIV, you are immediately counseled and referred for antiretroviral therapy, which has dramatically improved survival rates in nearly everyone. HIV is a manageable infection now, and post-infection life expectancies are now similar to pre-infection life expectancies.
So you're very much comparing apples (HIV and AIDS in the 80s, 90s, and 00s, depending on where you lived) to oranges (HIV and AIDS now).
Source: infectious disease epidemiologist working on HIV/AIDS for 25+ years