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What Are The Signs And Symptoms Of HIV And AIDS (stage 3 HIV)?
The early signs and symptoms of HIV infection tend to be nonspecific. Within days or weeks of exposure to the virus, a person may notice flu-like symptoms, a rash, and fatigue. Some people may not have any symptoms.
A person's symptoms may vary depending on their stage of progression. For example, someone with stage 1 HIV may have different symptoms from someone with stage 3 HIV, also known as AIDS.
There are three stages of HIV. Below are the potential signs and symptoms of HIV depending on the stage of the condition:
Stage 1 HIV symptomsStage 1 HIV typically develops within 2 to 4 weeks of HIV transmission. Symptoms at this stage are often vague and unspecific, and may include:
Early symptoms are usually bearable and frequently mistaken for the flu or another mild condition. People may easily underestimate them or mistake them for minor health conditions.
Some people may not have any symptoms at this stage. However, they will have a significant amount of the HIV virus in their bloodstream, meaning it is easy to pass it on.
If someone thinks that they have HIV, they should speak with a healthcare professional as soon as possible.
Stage 2 HIV symptomsStage 2 HIV, or chronic HIV, may take around 10 years to progress to stage 3, although this process may be faster or slower for some people.
Some people may not have HIV-related symptoms during this stage, which is why healthcare professionals may also refer to this phase as the asymptomatic phase.
Others may experience general fatigue and enlarged lymph nodes in at least two sites for more than 3 to 6 months. People may also experience the following:
During this phase, HIV is still multiplying inside the body but at lower levels than in the acute phase.
Stage 3 HIV symptomsStage 3 HIV, also known as AIDS, may cause the following symptoms:
These symptoms may occur due to opportunistic infections, such as:
How HIV symptoms differ in males and femalesWhile males and females may have many of the same early signs and symptoms of HIV, females may also experience symptoms such as genital yeast infections and changes in menstruation.
Males may also experience symptoms such as penile ulcers or erectile dysfunction.
Nonbinary and transgender people have a disproportionate burden of HIV, particularly transgender women. Factors that may contribute to this uneven burden may include discrimination, social stigma, and insensitivity to transgender-specific health needs.
Further research on HIV symptoms in transgender and nonbinary populations is necessary. However, transgender or nonbinary people may experience many of the same vague symptoms as cisgender people, such as fever, headaches, or ulcers.
According to estimates by the World Health Organization (WHO), around 20.5 million women and 18.1 million men globally were living with HIV in 2023.
However, higher numbers of males acquired HIV and experienced death due to HIV-related causes.
Although HIV remains a serious health concern, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) highlights that the number of people with HIV in the United States decreased by 12% from 2018 to 2022.
Some groups of people are affected more by HIV than others. For example, the CDC states that men in the United States who reported male-to-male sexual contact made up 67% of new HIV cases in 2022.
Learn more about global HIV statistics.
The only way to know if someone has HIV is to test for the virus. After exposure to the virus, there is a period in which tests will not detect the virus; the length of the period is specific to the test.
According to the CDC, healthcare professionals may diagnose HIV with the following tests:
Usually, the above tests are evaluated in labs, but home tests are also available. Home tests, which are usually antibody tests, may require a small blood or saliva sample, and their results are quickly available. Some home tests give results in as little as 20 minutes.
If a home test is positive, it is essential to confirm the results with a doctor. If the test is negative, a person should repeat it after a few months to confirm the results.
How often should people test for HIV?The CDC recommends that everyone between 13 and 64 years old take an HIV test at least once as part of their routine healthcare.
They also recommend that people with the following risk factors take a test at least once a year:
Learn more about HIV transmission.
HIV is a virus that weakens the immune system and leaves the body more prone to opportunistic diseases and infections.
Current treatments, such as antiretroviral therapy (ART), mean that stage 3 HIV is much less common. ART is a long-term treatment that lowers HIV levels in the body and stops the virus from replicating, allowing a person's immune system to grow stronger.
People with HIV can live long, healthy lives by combining HIV treatment and lifestyle measures, such as exercising regularly and quitting smoking if they smoke.
Learn about living with HIV.
How do people with HIV feel?People with stage 1 HIV may experience generalized symptoms, such as fever, headache, or fatigue, that they may mistake for the flu.
Some people may not have any symptoms and may not know they have HIV until it progresses or they test positive.
What happens if someone gets HIV?An acute HIV infection can take 2 to 4 weeks after transmission to develop. During this stage, a person will have high levels of HIV in the blood, which increases the risk of further transmission.
Treatment and diagnosis at this stage can offer significant health benefits.
How long do people with HIV live?HIV treatment, including ART, reduces the level of HIV in the blood. This treatment can slow HIV progression, allowing people with HIV to live long, healthy lives.
People should get HIV treatment as soon as possible. Without treatment, a person with stage 3 HIV typically lives for around 3 years.
HIV symptoms vary depending on the stage of the condition. Early stage symptoms may be similar to those of the flu. People may experience headaches, fever, fatigue, and more.
As the condition progresses, a person may not have any symptoms. However, in stage 3 HIV, also known as AIDS, a person may experience severe symptoms related to opportunistic infections. This may include rapid weight loss, night sweats, and sores.
Early diagnosis and appropriate treatment can help slow the progression of the virus and significantly improve a person's quality of life. Knowing the early signs can help a person receive a quick diagnosis.
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Federal Judge Says US Military Cannot Turn Away Enlistees Who Are HIV-positive
CNN —
The US military cannot turn away enlistees who have HIV, a federal judge ruled Tuesday, striking down the final part of a controversial Pentagon approach to the condition that has been chipped away at in recent years.
US District Judge Leonie Brinkema said the Pentagon's ban on HIV-positive people seeking to enlist in the armed forces contributes "to the ongoing stigma surrounding HIV-positive individuals while actively hampering the military's own recruitment goals."
"Modern science has transformed the treatment of HIV," Brinkema wrote in her ruling, saying that "asymptomatic HIV-positive service members with undetectable viral loads who maintain treatment are capable of performing all of their military duties, including worldwide deployment."
The Pentagon, she added, "must allow similarly situated civilians seeking accession into the United States military to demonstrate the same and permit their enlistment, appointment, and induction."
HIV is not easily transmitted to another person. It can't be spread through saliva, sweat, tears, communal exercise or sharing a bathroom. Most people get HIV through anal or vaginal sex or when sharing needles, according to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Medication called antiretroviral therapy, when used as prescribed, can suppress HIV in the body to very low levels or even levels that can't be detected by tests. People who stay virally suppressed or undetectable won't transmit the virus through sex or syringe sharing, the CDC says.
The Pentagon's policies toward HIV-positive Americans have been mired in legal battles in recent years. In 2022, Brinkema, in a separate pair of cases, struck down the military's ban on people who are HIV-positive from joining the armed forces as officers or deploying abroad. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin subsequently issued a memo that said people who are HIV-positive will no longer automatically be barred from serving in military leadership or serving overseas.
The challenge to the enlistment policy was brought by three HIV-positive individuals looking to join or rejoin the military in the last few years. All three were unable to do so because of the now-enjoined policy.
One of the plaintiffs, Isaiah Wilkins, was serving in the Georgia National Guard when he sought to enlist in the Army Reserve. During that process, he learned that he is HIV-positive, complicating those plans and prompting him and the two other unnamed plaintiffs to bring their lawsuit.
"This is a victory not only for me but for other people living with HIV who want to serve," Wilkins said in a statement Tuesday. "As I've said before, giving up on my dream to serve my country was never an option. I am eager to apply to enlist in the Army without the threat of a crippling discriminatory policy."
The Pentagon had pushed various arguments in defense of its policy, including that caring for HIV-positive service members would create financial burdens for the Department of Defense and that deployment might make it likely that such individuals "could experience viral rebound" if they don't adhere to their medication regimens that manage the infection.
The Defense Department referred questions to the Justice Department, which declined to comment.
CNN's Jen Christensen and Katherine Dillinger contributed to this report.
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