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Cancel Continue. With AIDS, your immune system is badly damaged. You can get more and more severe infections. These are known as opportunistic infections OIs. Some people may not feel sick during the earlier stages of HIV infection. So the only way to know for sure whether you have HIV is to get tested.
A blood test can tell if you have HIV infection. Your health care provider can do the test, or you can use a home testing kit. There is no cure for HIV infection, but it can be treated with medicines. This is called antiretroviral therapy ART.
It also reduces the risk of spreading the virus to others. It's also important to take care of yourself. Making sure that you have the support you need, living a healthy lifestyle, and getting regular medical care can help you enjoy a better quality of life.
The information on this site should not be used as a substitute for professional medical care or advice. Contact a health care provider if you have questions about your health. You can ask your health care provider for an HIV test. Many medical clinics, substance abuse programs, community health centers, and hospitals offer them too. You can also buy a home testing kit at a pharmacy or online. HIV self-testing is also an option.
Self-testing allows people to take an HIV test and find out their result in their own home or other private location.
You can buy a self-test kit at a pharmacy or online. Some health departments or community-based organizations also provide self-test kits for free. Read the U. Self-testing allows people to get tested for HIV while still following stay-at-home orders and social distancing practices. This may be shorter if the person develops a severe opportunistic illness. However, treatment with antiretroviral drugs can prevent AIDS from developing. If AIDS does develop, it means that the immune system is severely compromised, that is, weakened to the point where it can no longer successfully respond against most diseases and infections.
The first few weeks after someone contracts HIV is called the acute infection stage. During this time, the virus reproduces rapidly. During this stage, some people have no symptoms at first. This is because symptoms of the acute stage can be very similar to those of the flu or other seasonal viruses, such as:.
Because these symptoms are similar to common illnesses like the flu, the person who has them might not think they need to see a healthcare provider. And even if they do, their healthcare provider might suspect the flu or mononucleosis and might not even consider HIV. Whether a person has symptoms or not, during this period their viral load is very high.
The viral load is the amount of HIV found in the bloodstream. Initial HIV symptoms usually resolve within a few months as the person enters the chronic, or clinical latency, stage of HIV. This stage can last many years or even decades with treatment. Learn more about the early symptoms of HIV. After the first month or so, HIV enters the clinical latency stage. This stage can last from a few years to a few decades. As with the early stage, HIV is still transferable during this time even without symptoms and can be transmitted to another person.
HIV symptoms at this stage may come and go, or they may progress rapidly. This progression can be slowed substantially with treatment. With the consistent use of this antiretroviral therapy, chronic HIV can last for decades and will likely not develop into AIDS, if treatment was started early enough.
Learn more about how HIV symptoms can progress over time. Many people with HIV experience changes to their skin. Rash is often one of the first symptoms of an HIV infection. Generally, an HIV rash appears as multiple small red lesions that are flat and raised.
HIV makes someone more susceptible to skin problems because the virus destroys immune system cells that take measures against infection. Co-infections that can cause rash include:. While rash can be caused by HIV co-infections, it can also be caused by medication. Some drugs used to treat HIV or other conditions can cause a rash. This type of rash usually appears within a week or 2 weeks of starting a new medication.
Sometimes the rash will clear up on its own. Symptoms include fever and swelling of the face and tongue. A blistering rash, which can involve the skin and mucous membranes, appears and spreads quickly. If this develops, emergency medical care is needed. Learn more about HIV rash.
These symptoms can come and go or get progressively worse. These include:. Men, and those with a penis, may be more likely than women to notice symptoms of STIs such as sores on their genitals.
Learn more about HIV symptoms in men. For the most part, symptoms of HIV are similar in men and women. However, symptoms they experience overall may differ based on the different risks men and women face if they have HIV. However, women, and those with a vagina, may be less likely than men to notice small spots or other changes to their genitals. While not related to HIV symptoms, another risk for women with HIV is that the virus can be transmitted to a baby during pregnancy. However, antiretroviral therapy is considered safe during pregnancy.
Women who are treated with antiretroviral therapy are at very low risk for transmitting HIV to their baby during pregnancy and delivery. Breastfeeding is also affected in women with HIV. The virus can be transferred to a baby through breast milk. For these women, use of formula is encouraged. Options besides formula include pasteurized banked human milk. Learn more about HIV symptoms in women. AIDS refers to acquired immunodeficiency syndrome.
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