title: The will to live among HIV-infected patients.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Patients infected with HIV value both longevity and health.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To understand how HIV-infected patients value their health.
  
  
  METHODS
  Interview study.
  
  
  METHODS
  Regional treatment center for HIV.
  
  
  METHODS
  51 patients with HIV infection.
  
  
  METHODS
  Life-satisfaction, health rating, time-tradeoff, and standard-gamble scores.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Of the 51 patients, 49% (95% CI, 35% to 63%) said that their life was better currently than it was before they contracted HIV infection; only 29% said that life was currently worse. The mean (+/- SD) time-tradeoff score was 0.95 +/- 0.10, indicating that, on average, patients would give up no more than 5% of their remaining life expectancy in their current state of health in exchange for a shorter but healthy life. The average health rating score was 71.0 +/- 18.7 on a scale of 0 to 100, and the average standard-gamble score was 0.80 +/- 0.27. Factors contributing to life satisfaction and time-tradeoff scores included spirituality and having children.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Many patients with HIV have a strong will to live, and many feel that life with HIV is better than it was before they became infected.
authors.affiliation: Division of General Internal Medicine, University of Cincinnati Medical Center and SNS Research, Ohio 45267-0535, USA. Joel.Tsevat@uc.edu
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Tsevat
authors.forename: S N
authors.initials: SN
authors.lastname: Sherman
authors.forename: J A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: McElwee
authors.forename: K L
authors.initials: KL
authors.lastname: Mandell
authors.forename: L A
authors.initials: LA
authors.lastname: Simbartl
authors.forename: F A
authors.initials: FA
authors.lastname: Sonnenberg
authors.forename: F J
authors.initials: FJ
authors.lastname: Fowler
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D003627:Data Interpretation, Statistical; D005260:Female; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000523:psychology*; D006304:Health Status; D006801:Humans; D007407:Interviews as Topic; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011788:Quality of Life; D012067:Religion; D029181:Spirituality; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D026712:Value of Life