One of the most important things to understand about HIV is that a person can have the virus without feeling sick or noticing any obvious symptoms. This is why relying on how someone looks or feels cannot tell you whether they have HIV. Testing is the only reliable way to know your HIV status.
1. HIV can cause early symptoms within weeks
Some people develop flu-like symptoms about 2 to 4 weeks after infection. These may include fever, sore throat, swollen lymph nodes, rash, tiredness, or body aches. However, some people have no symptoms at all during this stage.
2. HIV can then remain without obvious symptoms for years
After the early stage, untreated HIV can enter a chronic stage in which a person may feel completely well for many years. This period can last a decade or longer in some people, although the exact timeline varies. The virus can still be active in the body and can be transmitted to others.
3. Symptoms may appear when the immune system becomes seriously weakened
Without treatment, HIV gradually damages the immune system. Later symptoms can include unexplained weight loss, persistent fever or night sweats, prolonged diarrhea, recurrent infections, swollen lymph nodes, or extreme tiredness. These symptoms are not specific to HIV and can have many other causes.
4. Treatment can prevent HIV from progressing
Modern HIV treatment can suppress the virus and protect the immune system. People who take treatment as prescribed and maintain an undetectable viral load can live long, healthy lives. A person who maintains an undetectable viral load does not sexually transmit HIV (U=U).