Human Immunodeficiency Virus - Symptoms & Stages

The Human Immunodeficiency Virus proceeds in stages, as described in this section.

Stage 1 Acute HIV Infection

Within a few weeks of exposure and infection, a person will experience a flu-like illness. That illness can last up to several weeks. During this stage, a person is very contagious.

This stage can include the following symptoms:

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

Stage 2 Clinical Latency

During stage 2, HIV is still active in the infected persons' body, but the individuals are not generally symptomatic. If an infected person is on the proper treatment plan and is taking the prescribed medicine correctly every day, he or she can live for decades. If infected people do not know that they have HIV or are not following proper medical protocol, they will live in this stage for a decade or less, depending on the progression of the virus. Towards the end of this stage, their viral load increases dramatically and they transition into stage three.

Stage 3 AIDS

Stage 3 is the most severe stage of the HIV infection. A person with AIDS has such a severely compromised immune system that he or she develops opportunistic illnesses that increase in number and severity. A person with AIDS is very contagious.

This stage can include the following symptoms:

• Rapid weight loss
• Recurring fever or night sweats
• Extreme lethargy
• Prolonged swelling of the lymph glands (located in the armpits, groin, or neck)
• Mouth, genital, or anal sores
• Memory loss
• Pneumonia

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