HIV

A small guide. Here's what you need to know about HIV (AIDS)

What is HIV?

• HIV (human immunodeficiency virus) is a virus that attacks the body’s immune system. If HIV is not treated, it can lead to AIDS.

 

• There is currently no effective cure. Once people get HIV, they have it for life.

 

• But with proper medical care, HIV can be controlled. People with HIV who get effective HIV TREATMENT can live long, healthy lives and protect their partners

Where did HIV come from?

HIV infection in humans came from a type of chimpanzee in Central Africa.

 

The chimpanzee version of the virus was probably passed to humans when humans hunted these chimpanzees for meat and came in contact with their infected blood.

 

HIV transmission: Know the facts

Anyone can contract HIV. The virus is transmitted in bodily fluids that include:

• blood
• semen
• vaginal and rectal fluids
• breast milk

Some of the ways HIV is transferred from person to person include:

• through vaginal or anal sex — the most common route of transmission
• by sharing needles, syringes, and other items for injection drug use
• by sharing tattoo equipment without sterilizing it between uses
• during pregnancy, labor, or delivery from a pregnant person to their baby
• during breastfeeding
• through “premastication,” or chewing a baby’s food before feeding it to them
• through exposure to the blood, semen, vaginal and rectal fluids, and breast milk of someone living with HIV, such as through a needle stick

The virus can also be transmitted through a blood transfusion or organ and tissue transplant. However, rigorous testing for HIV among blood, organ, and tissue donors ensures that this is very rare in the United States.

It’s theoretically possible, but considered extremely rare, for HIV to be transmitted through:

• oral sex (only if there are bleeding gums or open sores in the person’s mouth)
• being bitten by a person with HIV (only if the saliva is bloody or there are open sores in the person’s mouth)
• contact between broken skin, wounds, or mucous membranes and the blood of someone living with HIV

HIV does NOT transfer through:

• skin-to-skin contact
• hugging, shaking hands, or kissing
• air or water
• sharing food or drinks, including drinking fountains
• saliva, tears, or sweat (unless mixed with the blood of a person with HIV)
• sharing a toilet, towels, or bedding
• mosquitoes or other insects

It’s important to note that if a person living with HIV is being treated and has a persistently undetectable viral load, it’s virtually impossible to transmit the virus to another person.

Early symptoms of HIV

The first few weeks after someone contracts HIV is called the acute infection stage.

During this time, the virus reproduces rapidly. The person’s immune system responds by producing HIV antibodies, which are proteins that take measures to respond against infection.

During this stage, some people have no symptoms at first. However, many people experience symptoms in the first month or so after contracting the virus, but they often don’t realize HIV causes those symptoms.

This is because symptoms of the acute stage can be very similar to those of the flu or other seasonal viruses, such as:

• they may be mild to severe
• they may come and go
• they may last anywhere from a few days to several weeks

Early symptoms of HIV can include:

• fever
• chills
• swollen lymph nodes
• general aches and pains
• skin rash
• sore throat
• headache
• nausea
• upset stomach

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.

A high viral load means that HIV can be easily transmitted to someone else during this time.

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.

HIV symptoms can vary from person to person.

What are the 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.

Some people don’t have any symptoms during this time, while others may have minimal or nonspecific symptoms. A nonspecific symptom is a symptom that doesn’t pertain to one specific disease or condition.

These nonspecific symptoms may include:

• headaches and other aches and pains
• swollen lymph nodes
• recurrent fevers
• night sweats
• fatigue
• nausea
• vomiting
• diarrhea
• weight loss
• skin rashes
• recurrent oral or vaginal yeast infections
• pneumonia
• shingles

As with the early stage, HIV is still transferable during this time even without symptoms and can be transmitted to another person.

However, a person won’t know they have HIV unless they get tested. If someone has these symptoms and thinks they may have been exposed to HIV, it’s important that they get tested.

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.

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