Studies have noted incredibly high viral loads during the acute stage, meaning you are more contagious at this time. Some people have flu-like symptoms within two to four weeks after infection, but others may not feel sick or not develop symptoms at all until later.
Getting tested for HIV is the only way to know for sure. Anal sex is the highest-risk behavior. You can prevent HIV by using condoms correctly every time you have sex; pre-exposure prophylaxis, a prevention method in which the HIV-negative partner takes daily HIV medicine to prevent HIV; and treatment as prevention, a method in which the HIV-positive partner takes daily HIV medicine to achieve and maintain an undetectable viral load.
However, no test can detect HIV immediately after infection. The early symptoms of HIV can include:. Many of these people do not have any symptoms. There are three types of HIV tests :.
Keep in mind, any positive result known as the preliminary positive would necessitate a second test to confirm it. The only test that would not require a second confirmatory test is the NAT. The time between when a person may have been exposed to HIV and when a test can tell for sure whether they have the virus is called the window period. The window period varies from person to person and depends on the type of test used to detect HIV.
If you get an HIV test after a potential HIV exposure and the result is negative, you need to get tested again after the window period. It works by lowering the amount of virus in the body to very low levels. This treatment can also slow the progression of the infection and protect the immune system. Left untreated, HIV will progress to the second stage.
During this stage, people may experience no symptoms at all. If no treatment is administered, an individual can stay in this stage for 10 to 15 years. Early diagnosis is vital to slowing the progression of HIV.
If you are in a high-risk group, it is recommended that you get tested every three to six months. A number of tests are available, including at-home options, for you to get your results. Adherence is everything, however. Get information on prevention, symptoms, and treatment to better ensure a long and healthy life. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. About HIV. Updated June 1, Most people infected with HIV experience a short, flu-like illness that occurs weeks after infection.
After this, HIV may not cause any symptoms for several years. The symptoms usually last weeks, but can be longer. They're a sign that your immune system is putting up a fight against the virus. But having these symptoms does not necessarily mean you have the HIV virus.
Some people have HIV for years before they know they have it. According to HIV. Symptoms in early HIV tend to appear if the rate of cell destruction is high. Not having symptoms can mean that not as many CD4 cells, a type of white blood cell, are killed early on in the disease. Even though a person has no symptoms, they still have the virus. After initial exposure and possible primary infection, HIV may transition into a stage called clinically latent infection.
This lack of symptoms includes possible chronic symptoms. There are several medications used for HIV treatment. After acute infection, HIV is considered chronic. This means that the disease is ongoing. Symptoms of chronic HIV can vary. There can be long periods when the virus is present but symptoms are minimal. People with advanced, chronic HIV can experience episodes of:.
Controlling HIV with medications is crucial to both maintaining quality of life and helping prevent progression of the disease. CD4 levels decreasing below cells per cubic millimeter mm 3 of blood is considered a sign of AIDS.
Symptoms of AIDS include:.
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