If you are at high risk for getting infected with HIV, you can take antiretroviral medicine to help protect yourself from HIV infection. Experts may recommend this for: footnote 1. To keep your risk low, you still need to practice safer sex even while you are taking the medicine. HIV is spread when blood, semen, or vaginal fluids from an infected person enter another person's body, usually through sexual contact, from sharing needles when injecting drugs, or from mother to baby during birth.
Early symptoms of HIV are called acute retroviral syndrome. The symptoms may include:. These first symptoms can range from mild to severe and usually disappear on their own after 2 to 3 weeks. But many people don't have symptoms or they have such mild symptoms that they don't notice them at this stage. Untreated HIV infection progresses in stages.
These stages are based on your symptoms and the amount of the virus in your blood. HIV is spread when blood, semen, or vaginal fluids from an infected person enter another person's body, usually through:. HIV may be spread more easily in the early stage of infection and again later, when symptoms of HIV-related illness develop. A woman who is infected with HIV can spread the virus to her baby during pregnancy, delivery, or breastfeeding.
The virus doesn't survive well outside the body. So HIV cannot be spread through casual contact with an infected person, such as by sharing drinking glasses, by casual kissing, or by coming into contact with the person's sweat or urine. It is now extremely rare in the United States for HIV to be transmitted by blood transfusions or organ transplants. After you've been infected, it can take 2 weeks to 3 months for your body to start making HIV antibodies.
This means that during this time you could have a negative HIV test, even though you have been infected and can spread the virus to others. This is commonly called the "window period," or seroconversion period. The first stage of HIV infection is defined by the U. People in this stage don't have any symptoms. But even though no symptoms are present, the virus is making copies of itself multiplying in the body during this time. HIV multiplies so quickly that the immune system can't destroy the virus.
After years of fighting HIV, the immune system starts to weaken. After your immune system starts to weaken, you are more likely to get certain infections or illnesses, called opportunistic infections.
Examples include some types of pneumonia or cancer that are more common when you have a weakened immune system. A small number of people who are infected with HIV are rapid progressors.
They develop AIDS within a few years if they don't get treatment. It is not known why the infection progresses faster in these people. Left untreated, AIDS is often fatal within 18 to 24 months after it develops. Death may occur sooner in people who rapidly progress through the stages of HIV or in young children.
A few people have HIV that doesn't progress to more severe symptoms or disease. They are referred to as nonprogressors. A small number of people never become infected with HIV despite years of exposure to the virus. These people are said to be HIV-resistant. People who inject drugs or steroids, especially if they share needles, syringes, cookers, or other equipment used to inject drugs, are at risk of being infected with HIV.
If you are infected with HIV or caring for someone who is, call or other emergency services immediately if any of the following conditions develop:. Call your doctor to find out whether HIV testing is needed if you suspect you have been exposed to HIV, particularly if you engage in high-risk behavior and have any of the following symptoms:.
Getting tested for HIV can be scary, but the condition can be managed with treatment. So it is important to get tested if you think you have been exposed. Public health clinics and other organizations may provide free or low-cost, confidential testing and counseling about HIV and high-risk behavior.
If you don't have a doctor, contact one of the following for information on HIV testing in your area:. The U. Some people are afraid to be tested for HIV. But if there is any chance you could be infected, it is very important to find out. HIV can be treated.
Getting early treatment can slow down the virus and help you stay healthy. And you need to know if you are infected so you can prevent spreading the infection to other people. Your doctor may recommend counseling before and after HIV testing. It is usually available at the hospital or clinic where you will be tested. This will give you an opportunity to:. Testing positive for HIV will probably make you anxious and afraid about your future.
Denial, fear, and depression are common reactions. Don't be afraid to ask for the emotional support you need. If your family and friends aren't able to provide you with support, a professional counselor can help.
The good news is that people being treated for HIV are living longer than ever before with the help of medicines that can often prevent AIDS from developing. Your doctor can help you understand your condition and how best to treat it.
For the test, you rub your gums with a swab supplied by the kit. Then you place the swab into a vial of liquid. The test strip on the swab indicates if you have HIV or not.
Another type of test kit for HIV is a home blood test kit. This type of kit provides instructions and materials for collecting a small blood sample by sticking your finger with a lancet.
The blood is placed onto a special card that is then sent to a lab for analysis. You get the results over the phone using an anonymous code number. Counseling is also available over the phone for people who use the test kit.
Other tests may be done to check for current or past infections that may become worse because of HIV. You may be tested for:. When you have HIV, two tests are done regularly to see how much of the virus is in your blood viral load and how the virus is affecting your immune system :.
The results of these tests may help you make decisions about starting treatment or switching to new medicines if the ones you are taking aren't helping. HIV often changes or mutates in the body. Sometimes these changes make the virus resistant to certain medicines. Then the medicine no longer works. Medical experts recommend testing the blood of everyone diagnosed with HIV to look for this drug resistance.
It is diagnosed if the results of your test show that you have:. The most effective treatment for HIV is antiretroviral therapy ART , a combination of several medicines that aims to control the amount of virus in your body. For more information, see Medications. Research suggests that treatment of early HIV with antiretroviral medicines has long-term benefits, such as a stronger immune system.
But you may decide not to get treated at first. If you put off treatment, you will still need regular checkups to measure the amount of HIV in your blood and check how well your immune system is working. Health care workers who are at risk for HIV because of an accidental needlestick or other exposure to body fluids should get medicine to prevent infection. Also, medicine may prevent HIV infection in a person who has been raped or was accidentally exposed to the body fluids of a person who may have HIV.
And studies have shown that if you are not infected with HIV, taking antiretroviral medicines can protect you against HIV. Learning how to live with HIV infection may keep your immune system strong, while also preventing the spread of HIV to others. If HIV progresses to a late stage, treatment will be started or continued to keep your immune system as healthy as possible.
If you get any diseases that point to AIDS, such as Pneumocystis pneumonia or Kaposi's sarcoma , your doctor will treat them. Many important end-of-life decisions can be made while you are active and able to communicate your wishes. For more information, see the topic Care at the End of Life. Practice safer sex. This includes using a condom unless you are in a relationship with one partner who does not have HIV or other sex partners.
If you do have sex with someone who has HIV, it is important to practice safer sex and to be regularly tested for HIV. Talk with your sex partner or partners about their sexual history as well as your own sexual history.
Find out whether your partner has a history of behaviors that increase his or her risk for HIV. You may be able to take a combination medicine tenofovir plus emtricitabine every day to help prevent infection with HIV. This medicine can lower the risk of getting HIV.
If you use alcohol or drugs, be very careful. Being under the influence can make you careless about practicing safer sex.
And never share intravenous IV needles, syringes, cookers, cotton, cocaine spoons, or eyedroppers with others if you use drugs. If you are infected with HIV, you can greatly lower the risk of spreading the infection to your sex partner by starting treatment when your immune system is still healthy. Experts recommend starting treatment as soon as you know you are infected.
Studies have shown that early treatment greatly lowers the risk of spreading HIV to an uninfected partner. Your partner may also be able to take medicine to prevent getting infected. If you are HIV-positive infected with HIV or have engaged in sex or needle-sharing with someone who could be infected with HIV, take precautions to prevent spreading the infection to others. Support groups are often good places to share information, problem-solving tips, and emotions related to HIV infection. You may be able to find a support group by searching the Internet.
Or you can ask your doctor to help you find one. Get the immunizations and the medicine treatment you need to prevent certain infections or illnesses, such as some types of pneumonia or cancer that are more likely to develop in people who have a weakened immune system. A skilled caregiver can provide the emotional, physical, and medical care that will improve the quality of life for a person who has HIV.
Medicines used to treat HIV are called antiretrovirals. Several of these are combined for treatment called antiretroviral therapy, or ART. Medicines for HIV may have unpleasant side effects. They may sometimes make you feel worse than you did before you started taking them. Talk to your doctor about your side effects. He or she may be able to adjust your medicines or prescribe a different one. You may be able to take several medicines combined into one pill. This reduces the number of pills you have to take each day.
Resistance to HIV medicines can occur when:. Reducing stress can help you better manage the HIV illness. Some methods of stress reduction include:. Marijuana has been shown to stimulate the appetite and relieve nausea. Talk to your doctor if you're interested in trying it. Alternative and complementary treatments for HIV need to be carefully evaluated.
Some people with HIV may use these types of treatment to help with fatigue and weight loss caused by HIV infection and reduce the side effects caused by antiretroviral therapy ART. Some complementary therapies for other problems may actually be harmful. For example, St. John's wort decreases the effectiveness of certain prescription medicines for HIV. Current as of: September 23, Author: Healthwise Staff.
Medical Review: E. This information does not replace the advice of a doctor. Healthwise, Incorporated, disclaims any warranty or liability for your use of this information.
Your use of this information means that you agree to the Terms of Use. Learn how we develop our content. To learn more about Healthwise, visit Healthwise. Healthwise, Healthwise for every health decision, and the Healthwise logo are trademarks of Healthwise, Incorporated. Updated visitor guidelines. Top of the page. What is AIDS? With treatment, many people with HIV are able to live long and active lives.
HIV-2 infection is uncommon in North America. HIV is transmitted through contact with the following bodily fluids, from most likely to lead to HIV transmission to least likely :. Sex without a condom and sharing needles — even tattoo or piercing needles — can result in the transmission of HIV. View a timeline of HIV symptoms. Even without symptoms, HIV can still be present in the body and can still be transmitted. Receiving adequate treatment that results in viral suppression stops the progression of immune dysfunction and AIDS.
Adequate treatment also helps a damaged immune system to recover. Symptoms of the acute infection may take place days to weeks after the virus has been contracted. During this time, the virus is multiplying rapidly in the body, unchecked. This initial HIV stage can result in flu-like symptoms. Examples of these symptoms include:. The flu symptoms are due to the increase of copies of HIV and widespread infection in the body.
During this time, the amount of CD4 cells starts to fall very quickly. The immune system then kicks in, causing CD4 levels to rise once again. In addition to potentially causing symptoms, the acute stage is when people with HIV have the greatest chance of transmitting the virus to others.
This is because HIV levels are very high at this time. The acute stage typically lasts between several weeks and months.
The chronic HIV stage is known as the latent or asymptomatic stage. However, a person can still transmit HIV if the virus is left untreated and they continue to have a detectable viral load.
Advances in antiretroviral treatments have significantly improved the outlook for people living with HIV. With proper treatment, many people who are HIV-positive are able to achieve viral suppression and live long, healthy lives.
Learn more about HIV and life expectancy. People with AIDS are vulnerable to opportunistic infections and common infections that may include tuberculosis , toxoplasmosis , and pneumonia. HIV infects T cells via high-affinity interaction between the virion envelope glycoprotein gp and the CD4 molecule. As illustrated in Figure 2 , after gp binds to CD4 on the T cell 1. Nucleocapsids containing viral genome and enzymes enters the target cell 2.
Following the release of viral genome and enzymes from the core protein, viral reverse transcriptase catalyses reverse transcription of ssRNA to form RNA-DNA hybrids 3.
The viral dsDNA is translocated into the nucleus and integrated into the host genome by the viral integrase enzyme 5. In the cytoplasm, host-cell ribosomes catalyse synthesis of viral precursor proteins 8. The viral precursor proteins are cleaved into viral proteins by viral proteases 9. HIV ssRNA and proteins assemble beneath the host-cell plasma membrane 10 forming virion buds from it Maturation occurs either in the forming buds or after budding from the host cell The mature virions are able to infect another host cell.
Innate immune cells e. Tissue macrophages are one of the target cells for HIV. These macrophages harbour the virus and are known to be the source of viral proteins.
However, the infected macrophages are shown to lose their ability to ingest and kill foreign microbes and present antigen to T cells. This could have a major contribution in overall immune dysfunction caused by HIV infection. Dendritic cells DCs. DCs are large cells with dendritic cytoplasmic extensions. These cells present processed antigens to T lymphocytes in lymph nodes.
These cells transport HIV from the site of infection to lymphoid tissue. The follicular DCs, found in lymphoid tissue, are also key antigen-presenting cells that trap and present antigens on their cell surfaces.
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