Historically, the presence of HIV infection in a patient with end-stage organ failure has been considered an absolute contraindication for organ transplantation. However, advances in antiretroviral therapy have significantly improved life expectancy for people living with HIV to the extent that the condition is now generally managed as a chronic disease. At the same time, a growing number of these individuals are experiencing or dying from end-stage organ failure, prompting renewed debate about this long-standing contraindication.
In addition, many national transplant policies require that organs from HIV-positive donors be discarded due to safety concerns. Even if the intended recipient is also HIV-positive, there is a risk of superinfection — acquiring a different strain of HIV from the donor, which may be…