Women with HIV in the Bronx who achieved sustained virologic suppression lived approximately 4 years longer than comparable men, approaching sex differences in the general population.
Among PWH in the Bronx who achieved sustained virologic suppression, men had a 32% higher mortality rate than women.
Over a median 10.7 years of follow-up, 27% of the cohort died.
Hispanic PWH had lower mortality than Black (non-Hispanic) PWH, while White and other/unknown race/ethnicity PWH had higher mortality.
Estimated remaining life-years at age 30 were about 4 years greater for women than men with heterosexual HIV acquisition, among PWH with public insurance and CD4+ ≥500 cells/μL.
Hispanic and Black men with MSM acquisition had estimated remaining life-years at age 30 of 44 and 41, respectively.
The sex difference in life expectancy among virologically suppressed PWH in the Bronx approached that seen in the general population.
This study followed nearly 10,000 people with HIV who received care in the Bronx, New York, and who had achieved sustained suppression of the virus for at least a year. Researchers tracked them for a median of about 11 years, during which about 27% died. They compared death rates by sex, race/ethnicity, how HIV was acquired, immune health (CD4 count), and insurance type. Men had about 32% higher death rates than women. Using these rates, the researchers estimated that among people with public insurance and healthy CD4 counts, women with heterosexually acquired HIV had about 4 more years of remaining life at age 30 than comparable men (for example, 45 vs 41 years for Hispanic women and men, and 42 vs 38 for Black women and men). Hispanic people with HIV had lower death rates than Black people with HIV, while White people and those with other or unknown race/ethnicity had higher rates. This research suggests that the female survival advantage seen in the general population persists among people whose HIV is well controlled, at least in this relatively similar urban population. It also suggests that looking at local, detailed subgroups can reveal patterns that national data may hide, which may help guide health priorities. Because this is an observational study from one health system, it describes associations and may not apply everywhere.
B. Peters, Melissa J. Fazzari, U. Felsen, Heidi E. Jones, M. Ginsberg, David B. Hanna, et al.. (2026). Life expectancy among women and men with HIV after achieving sustained virologic suppression in the Bronx, New York: a clinical cohort study. The Lancet Regional Health - Americas. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.lana.2026.101668