how do you know when you contracted hiv?
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Within two to four weeks after infection, you may experience flu-like symptoms such as fatigue, fever, sore throat, swollen lymph nodes, headache, loss of appetite or skin rash. During this period, the immune system is learning to recognize HIV. Primary infection refers to the time when you're first infected with HIV.
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An HIV rash is irritated skin that affects people who have the virus. It can be itchy, red or purple, or painful. Most people who have HIV get a rash at some point. It's a common symptom that can happen in early (acute) or later stages of HIV infection.
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But that doesn't mean the virus is gone. It can take as long as 10 years for other symptoms to show up. During this time, if your HIV infection is untreated, the virus is still active and infecting new cells in your body. After up to 10 years with an untreated HIV infection, the virus has damaged your immune system.
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Symptoms such as coughing, shortness of breath, coughing up blood, phlegm or mucus, and pain in the lungs are all signs of a problem in the lungs. "Taking HIV treatment can prevent your immune system becoming so weak that you develop serious lung infections."
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Some people who contract HIV experience very strong symptoms, but others experience none at all. Those who do have symptoms generally experience symptoms similar to the common cold or flu: fever, fatigue, and, often, rash. Other common symptoms can include headache, swollen lymph nodes, and sore throat.
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When the body's immune system is weakened by HIV, it can lead to skin conditions that cause rashes, sores, and lesions. Skin conditions can be among the earliest signs of HIV and can be present during its primary stage.
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At this early stage of HIV infection, it's important to know that you may not get accurate results from an HIV test. It can take 3-12 weeks for enough signs of the virus to show up on routine tests for the infection, which measure antibodies against HIV.
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One of the symptoms may be a rash. The most common HIV rash occurs shortly after infection. It is an itchy rash that usually appears on the abdomen, face, arms, or legs and features a flat, red area covered in small red bumps.
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HIV tests detect antibodies — the immune system's response to infection. For the majority of people, HIV testing will be accurate at four to six weeks after possible infection. However, for some people it may take longer — up to three months — for detectable antibodies to develop.
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The symptoms of acute HIV syndrome usually last for about 14 days after HIV exposure. They could last for just a few days, or they could last for several months. You might not realize your illness is acute HIV infection. For one thing, the person you caught HIV from may not even look sick.
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HIV infection is caused by the human immunodeficiency virus. You can get HIV from contact with infected blood, semen, or vaginal fluids. Most people get the virus by having unprotected sex with someone who has HIV.
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HIV RNA test ("viral load") is positive in patients with acute HIV infection. Lower-than-normal CD4 (white blood cell) count may be a sign of a suppressed immune system. The CD4 count usually improves 1 - 2 months after acute infection.
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Untreated, HIV typically turns into AIDS in about 8 to 10 years. When AIDS occurs, your immune system has been severely damaged. You'll be more likely to develop opportunistic infections or opportunistic cancers — diseases that wouldn't usually cause illness in a person with a healthy immune system.
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The fever, usually one of the first symptoms of HIV, is often accompanied by other mild symptoms, such as fatigue, swollen lymph glands, and a sore throat. At this point the virus is moving into the blood stream and starting to replicate in large numbers.
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An antibody test can take 23 to 90 days to detect HIV infection after an exposure. In general, antibody tests that use blood from a vein detect HIV sooner after infection than tests done with blood from a finger prick or with oral fluid.
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If you have been tested for HIV infection, you may be told that the result is 'reactive'. While this is sometimes described as a 'positive' result, it could be a false positive. The result indicates that the test has reacted to something in your blood and this should be investigated further.
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Signs and tests HIV RNA test ("viral load") is positive in patients with acute HIV infection. Lower-than-normal CD4 (white blood cell) count may be a sign of a suppressed immune system. The CD4 count usually improves 1 - 2 months after acute infection. White blood cell differential may show abnormalities.