During the first year of infection, an HIV-positive person will pass through acute HIV infection and enter latency. The symptoms of acute HIV infection are flu-like, and there are no symptoms during the latent period of HIV infection.
Acute Infection Symptoms
Some newly infected individuals develop flu-like symptoms during acute, or primary, HIV infection. According to HIV-symptoms.info, these symptoms include fever, headache, aches and pains, sore throat and swollen lymph nodes, fatigue, skin rash, loss of appetite and nausea.
Time Frame
According to AIDS-clinical-care.jwatch.org, these symptoms generally develop five to 30 days after infection and last for about two weeks.
Latency
After the symptoms of acute HIV infection clear up, there is a long latency period. During latency, there are no symptoms of HIV infection. This phase will last through the first year and generally will continue for several years.
Effects
Although there are no symptoms of HIV infection during latency, the virus is still infecting the cells of the immune system. Additionally, it is still possible and common to transmit the virus to others during latency.
Considerations
Because the symptoms of acute HIV infection are non-specific, it is not possible to diagnose HIV based on these alone. It is therefore important to be tested for HIV three to six months after possible exposure to the virus. It typically takes three months for HIV antibodies to appear in an individual's blood.
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