I AM A PERSON LIVING
WITH HIV

The only way to know whether or not you have HIV is to get tested. When you know your HIV status, you can make smarter and healthier choices to prevent getting or transmitting HIV.

Some people experience flu-like symptoms 2-4 weeks after infection. Some symptoms include:

• Fever
• Chills
• Rash
• Night sweats
• Muscle aches
• Sore throat
• Fatigue
• Swollen lymph nodes
• Mouth ulcers

Some people do not feel sick at all during acute HIV infection.

Stage 1: Acute HIV Infection

In the acute HIV infection stage, people have a large amount of HIV in their blood, and they are very contagious. Some people experience flu-like symptoms as the body’s natural response to infection, but some people may not get sick right away or at all.

Stage 2: Chronic HIV Infection

The chronic HIV infection stage is also called asymptomatic HIV infection or clinical latency because the HIV is still active but reproduces at very low levels. During this phase, people may not have any symptoms or get sick but can transmit HIV. Without proper medication, this period may last a decade or longer, but some may progress faster.

Stage 3: Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome (AIDS)

AIDS is the most severe stage of HIV infection. People receive an AIDS diagnosis when their CD4 cell count drops below 200 cells/mm. People with AIDS can be very infectious. Without treatment, people with AIDS typically survive about three years.