Non-infective complications for people living with HIV

In 2020, 37.7 million (30.2–45.1 million) people were living with HIV globally, with 27.5 million (26.5–27.7 million) accessing antiretroviral therapy. Women and girls accounted for half of all new HIV infections. HIV is now a treatable chronic health condition, and people diagnosed with HIV can expect to live long and healthy lives with access to antiretroviral therapy. There is evidence, however, that people with HIV are more likely to develop certain age-related diseases, including cardiovascular disease, chronic airway disease, kidney failure, liver failure, cancer, type 2 diabetes and other complications. People with HIV also continue to experience intersecting social stigma, which affects their health outcomes compared with the general population. Amid the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic, new opportunities and challenges are emerging in HIV medicine and emphasize the need for clinicians to maintain a working knowledge of HIV and its potential complications.