# HIV. Couldn't you drain out your blood and replace it to halt the virus?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hiv-couldnt-you-drain-out-your-blood-and-replace-it-to-halt-the-virus/331399>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [November 16, 2005, 10:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hiv-couldnt-you-drain-out-your-blood-and-replace-it-to-halt-the-virus/331399 "2005-11-16T22:18:59Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 3\
**Page:** 2

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Blalron](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/35a633/32.png) [@Blalron](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Blalron)\
**Post date:** [November 20, 2005, 7:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hiv-couldnt-you-drain-out-your-blood-and-replace-it-to-halt-the-virus/331399/21 "2005-11-20T19:44:25Z")

</div>

> [@Gozu](#):
>
> I believe the OP is already aware that the remaining infected blood and the virus reservoirs would reinfect the “clean” blood upon re-entry. He’s not asking if this can cure anyone, he’s asking if this method would _halt_ the progression of the virus (IE: an HIV patient would remain infected but never develop full-blown AIDS).

Yes, this is exactly what I’m asking. I didn’t expect it to be a cure. Why wouldn’t this idea work to prevent an HIV patient from getting AIDS? The new blood he’d be getting would keep adding new T-Cells into his system. Admittedly the HIV will destroy them eventually but then he just gets new blood with new t-cells.

What’s wrong with this picture?

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![TJdude825](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/dec6dc/32.png) [@TJdude825](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TJdude825)\
**Post date:** [November 20, 2005, 11:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hiv-couldnt-you-drain-out-your-blood-and-replace-it-to-halt-the-virus/331399/22 "2005-11-20T23:13:24Z")

</div>

> [@Queuing](#):
>
> Could you give someone cancer to cure HIV?

I don’t know about that, but there is some evidence that it does work the other way around.

[Altered HIV Attacks Mice Tumors](http://www.wired.com/news/medtech/0,1286,66579,00.html)

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![crazyjoe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f14d63/32.png) [@crazyjoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/crazyjoe)\
**Post date:** [November 21, 2005, 3:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hiv-couldnt-you-drain-out-your-blood-and-replace-it-to-halt-the-virus/331399/23 "2005-11-21T15:43:12Z")

</div>

> [@Blalron](#):
>
> Yes, this is exactly what I’m asking. I didn’t expect it to be a cure. Why wouldn’t this idea work to prevent an HIV patient from getting AIDS? The new blood he’d be getting would keep adding new T-Cells into his system. Admittedly the HIV will destroy them eventually but then he just gets new blood with new t-cells.
> 
> What’s wrong with this picture?

Well, for starters, we don’t have enough blood to constantly be giving oil changes to HIV patients.

[Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hiv-couldnt-you-drain-out-your-blood-and-replace-it-to-halt-the-virus/331399.md?page=1)