Equity Components [Axis] Common Stock Additional Paid-In Capital Accumulated Deficit Noncontrolling Interest Retained Earnings / Accumulated Deficit Segments [Axis] Aethlon ESI [Member] LongtermDebtType [Axis] November 2014 10% Convertible Notes [Member] Award Type [Axis] Warrants [Member] Restricted Stock Units (RSUs) [Member] Stock Options [Member] Sale of Stock [Axis] Common Stock Sales Agreement [Member] Counterparty Name [Axis] H.C. Wainwright [Member] Property Subject to or Available for Operating Lease [Axis] 9635 Granite Ridge Drive [Member] Related Party Transaction [Axis] Accrued board fees [Member] Accrued vacation [Member] Plan Name [Axis] Non-Employee Directors Plan [Member] December 2016 10% Convertible Notes [Member] Class of Stock [Axis] Vested Stock Units [Member] Options [Member] Five Accredited investors [Member] Nature of Expense [Axis] Vesting of stock options and restricted stock units [Member] Share-Based Compensation [Member] Type Of Arrangement [Axis] Melanoma Cancer Contract Phase 2 [Member] Melanoma Cancer Contract Phase 1 [Member] Breast Cancer Grant [Member] Document And Entity Information Entity Registrant Name Entity Central Index Key Document Type Document Period End Date Amendment Flag Current Fiscal Year End Date Entity a Well-known Seasoned Issuer Entity a Voluntary Filer Entity's Reporting Status Current Entity Filer Category Entity Public Float Entity Common Stock, Shares Outstanding Document Fiscal Period Focus Document Fiscal Year Focus Entity Shell Company Entity Small Business Entity Emerging growth Entity Ex Transition Period Entity Interactive Data Current Entity Incorporation, State or Country Code Entity File Number Statement of Financial Position [Abstract] ASSETS Current assets Cash Prepaid expenses and other current assets Total current assets Property and equipment, net Right-of-use lease asset Patents, net Deposits Total assets LIABILITIES AND STOCKHOLDERS' EQUITY Current liabilities Accounts payable Due to related parties Convertible notes payable, net Deferred revenue Lease liability, current portion Other current liabilities Total current liabilities Lease liability, less current portion Total liabilities Commitments and Contingencies (Note 13) Stockholders' Equity Common stock, par value $0.001 per share; 30,000,000 shares authorized; 1,337,259 and 1,266,979 shares issued and outstanding as of September 30, 2019 and March 31, 2019, respectively Additional paid-in capital Accumulated deficit Total Aethlon Medical, Inc. stockholders' equity before noncontrolling interests Noncontrolling interests Total stockholders' equity Total liabilities and stockholders' equity Stockholders' Deficit Common stock par value (in dollars per share) Common stock shares authorized Common stock issued Common stock outstanding Income Statement [Abstract] Government contract revenue OPERATING EXPENSES Professional fees Payroll and related expenses General and administrative Total operating expenses OPERATING LOSS OTHER EXPENSE Interest and other debt expenses Loss on share for warrant exchanges Loss on debt extinguishment Total other expense NET LOSS LOSS ATTRIBUTABLE TO NONCONTROLLING INTERESTS NET LOSS ATTRIBUTABLE TO AETHLON MEDICAL, INC. BASIC AND DILUTED LOSS PER COMMON SHARE WEIGHTED AVERAGE NUMBER OF COMMON SHARES OUTSTANDING – BASIC AND DILUTED Statement [Table] Statement [Line Items] Beginning balance, shares Beginning balance, value Issuances of common stock for cash under at the market program, shares Issuances of common stock for cash under at the market program, value Loss on debt extinguishment Issuances of common stock upon warrant exchanges, shares Issuances of common stock upon warrant exchanges, value Issuance of common shares upon vesting of restricted stock units, shares Issuance of common shares upon vesting of restricted stock units, value Common stock issued for services, shares Common stock issued for services, value Stock based compensation expense Net loss Ending balance, shares Ending balance, value Statement of Cash Flows [Abstract] Cash flows from operating activities: Adjustments to reconcile net loss to net cash used in operating activities: Depreciation and amortization Stock based compensation Amortization of debt discount Common stock issued for services Noncash lease expense Changes in operating assets and liabilities: Accounts receivable Prepaid expenses and other current assets Accounts payable and other current liabilities Change in lease liability Deferred revenue Due to related parties Net cash used in operating activities Cash flows from investing activities: Purchases of property and equipment Net cash used in investing activities Cash flows (used in) provided by financing activities: Proceeds from the issuance of common stock, net Principal payments on convertible notes Tax withholding payments or tax equivalent payments for net share settlement of restricted stock units Net cash used in financing activities Net decrease in cash Cash at beginning of period Cash at end of period Supplement disclosures of cash flow information: Interest Supplemental information of non-cash investing and financing activities: Initial recognition of right-of-use lease asset and lease liability Par value of shares issued for vested restricted stock units Organization, Consolidation and Presentation of Financial Statements [Abstract] NATURE OF BUSINESS AND BASIS OF PRESENTATION Earnings Per Share [Abstract] LOSS PER COMMON SHARE Research and Development [Abstract] RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT EXPENSES Accounting Changes and Error Corrections [Abstract] RECENT ACCOUNTING PRONOUNCEMENTS Convertible Notes Payable [Abstract] CONVERTIBLE NOTES PAYABLE, NET Equity [Abstract] EQUITY TRANSACTIONS Related Party Transactions [Abstract] RELATED PARTY TRANSACTIONS Other Liabilities Disclosure [Abstract] OTHER CURRENT LIABILITIES Share-based Payment Arrangement [Abstract] STOCK COMPENSATION Notes to Financial Statements WARRANTS Revenue Recognition [Abstract] Government Contracts and Grants and Related Revenue Recognition Segment Reporting [Abstract] SEGMENTS Commitments and Contingencies Disclosure [Abstract] COMMITMENTS AND CONTINGENCIES Subsequent Events [Abstract] SUBSEQUENT EVENTS Leases Basis of Presentation and Use of Estimates Reclassifications LIQUIDITY AND GOING CONCERN Research and Development expenses Convertible notes payable Schedule of RSU activity Due to related parties Other Current Liabilities Share-based compensation expense relating to RSUs Options outstanding that have vested and are expected to vest Schedule of stock option activity Schedule of Warrant Activity Schedule of segments Lease commitments Reverse stock split Weighted average common shares outstanding Antidilutive shares Research and development expense Right of use assets Long-term Debt, Type [Axis] Convertible notes payable, principal Unamortized discount Convertible notes payable, net Accrued interest Repayment of convertible notes Repayment of accrued interest Interest expense, debt Amortization of debt discounts Total interest expense RSU's vested RSU's expected to vest Total RSU's outstanding Proceeds from issuance of common stock and warrants Payment of commissions Payment of stock issuance costs Stock issued new, shares issued Stock sale - average price per share Stock issued for compensation, value RSU's granted RSU's exchanged for common stock, RSU's exchanged RSU's exchanged for common stock, Common stock issued Stock cancelled in exchange for withholding tax, shares Stock issued as net settlement Payments to satify tax withholding Warrants cancelled Director fees Other Liabilities, Current [Abstract] Accrued interest Accrued separation expense for former executives Accrued professional fees Total other current liabilities Total stock-based compensation expense Weighted average number of common shares outstanding- basic and diluted Basic and diluted loss per common share attributable to stock-based compensation expense Options vested Options expected to vest Total options outstanding Weighted average exercise price options vested Weighted average exercise price options expected to vest Weighted average remaining contractual term options vested Weighted average remaining contractual term options expected to vest Stock options Outstanding, beginning balance Adjustment for reverse split Stock options granted Stock options exercised Stock options cancelled/forfeited Stock options outstanding, ending balance Stock options exercisable Range of exercise prices, Option beginning Range of exercise prices, Option cancelled/expired Range of exercise prices, Option ending Range of exercise prices, Option exercisable Outstanding, Weighted Average Exercise Price, beginning price Granted, Weighted Average Exercise Price Exercised, Weighted Average Exercise Price Cancelled/Forfeited, Weighted Average Exercise Price Outstanding Weighted Average Exercise Price, ending price Exercisable, Weighted Average Exercise Price Intrinsic value Unrecognized compensation costs Unrecognized compensation cost amortization period Number of Warrants Number of Warrants Outstanding, Beginning Number of Warrants Granted Number of Warrants Exercised Number of Warrants Forfeited Number of Warrants Cancelled/Expired Number of Warrants Outstanding, Ending Number of Warrants Exercisable, Ending Weighted Average Exercise Price Weighted Average Exercise Price Outstanding, Beginning Weighted Average Exercise Price Granted Weighted Average Exercise Price Exercised Weighted Average Exercise Price Forfeited Weighted Average Exercise Price Expired Weighted Average Exercise Price Outstanding, Ending Weighted Average Exercise Price Exercisable Weighted average grant date fair value Weighted Average Exercise Price Outstanding, Beginning Weighted Average Exercise Price Expired Weighted Average Exercise Price Outstanding, Ending Weighted Average Exercise Price Exercisable Collaborative Arrangement and Arrangement Other than Collaborative [Axis] Contract revenue Revenues Operating Losses Net Losses Total Assets Capital Expenditures Depreciation and Amortization Interest Expense Operating lease payments year 2020 Operating lease payments year 2021 Operating lease payments year 2022 Total lease payments Less: Discount Total lease liability Rent expense Operating lease term Operating lease discount rate Amortization of right to use asset Amortization of lease liability Accretion of right to use asset Information by business segments. Information by type of long-term debt. The set of legal entities associated with a report. Information by property that could be leased or is available for lease. Information by type of long-term debt. RSU's exchanged for common stock, Common stock issued RSU's exchanged for common stock, RSU's exchanged Warrants exercisable Warrants Exercisable, Weighted Average Exercise Price Number of RSU's expected to vest. Information by name of counterparty. A counterparty is the other party that participates in a financial transaction. Examples include, but not limited to, the name of the financial institution. Stock issued as net settlement Initial recognition of right-of-use lease asset and lease liability Number of warrants [Abstract} Weighted average exercise price of warrants [Abstract] Warrants - Weighted Average Exercise Price Exercised Warrants Weighted Average Exercise Price Forfeited Warrants - Weighted Average Exercise Price Expired Weighted Average Exercise Price Outstanding, Beginning Weighted Average Exercise Price Expired Weighted Average Exercise Price Outstanding, Ending Total lease payments Issuance of common shares upon vesting of restricted stock units, shares Issuance of common shares upon vesting of restricted stock units, value Loss on share for warrant exchanges Par value of shares issued for vested restricted stock units Stock sale - average price per share Adjustment for reverse split Assets, Current Liabilities, Current Liabilities Stockholders' Equity Attributable to Parent Stockholders' Equity, Including Portion Attributable to Noncontrolling Interest Liabilities and Equity Operating Expenses Gain (Loss) on Extinguishment of Debt Other Expenses Net Income (Loss) Attributable to Parent Shares, Outstanding Increase (Decrease) in Accounts Receivable Increase (Decrease) in Prepaid Expense and Other Assets Increase (Decrease) in Deferred Revenue Increase (Decrease) in Accounts Payable, Related Parties Net Cash Provided by (Used in) Operating Activities Payments to Acquire Property, Plant, and Equipment Net Cash Provided by (Used in) Investing Activities Net Cash Provided by (Used in) Financing Activities Cash, Period Increase (Decrease) Schedule of Related Party Transactions [Table Text Block] Debt Instrument, Unamortized Discount Convertible Notes Payable Interest Expense Interest Payable, Current Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award, Options, Exercises in Period Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award, Options, Expirations in Period Class of Warrant or Right, Outstanding Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award, Non-Option Equity Instruments, Expirations Class of Warrant or Right, Exercise Price of Warrants or Rights ShareBasedCompensationArrangementsByShareBasedPaymentAwardOtherThanOptionsExpirationsInPeriodWeightedAverageExercisePrice ShareBasedCompensationArrangementByShareBasedPaymentAwardOtherThanOptionsExercisableWeightedAverageExercisePrice LesseeOperatingLeaseLiabilityPaymentsGross Lessee, Operating Lease, Liability, Undiscounted Excess Amount