HIV (Human Immunodeficiency Virus), much as its name suggests, is a virus that attacks lymphocytes that are a crucial element of your body's immune response. Without healthily functioning immune cells, your body is increasingly unable to fight other infections, which is what makes HIV so virulent and therefore deadly. Because the first stage of HIV infection is often asymptomatic, it is important to be vigilant about your health after possible exposure to the virus.
Exposure
Exposure to HIV involves an exchange of bodily fluids other than saliva, tears or urine, all of which contain too few virus particles to trigger an infection, and HIV has also not been found in sweat, vomit or feces. However, if any of these fluids contain blood, there is a risk of transmission. Sexual fluids and blood both contain HIV in such a quantity that transmission is possible. HIV must enter the bloodstream, and can do so in many ways, including unprotected vaginal or anal intercourse (and sometimes oral intercourse), sharing needles, during childbirth or while breastfeeding, and transfusion and organ reception, although thanks to better practices in the health care field in the United States, incidences of transmission through the last two pathways have been essentially eliminated. Because the first stage of HIV infection is either asymptomatic or so much like the flu that many patients do not seek medical treatment after initial infection, it is important to be tested for HIV about one month after possible exposure and again three months after possible exposure, as it may take this long to develop detectable antibodies to the HIV virus.
First-stage Infection
HIV infection begins with a high virus count in the peripheral blood. Seroconversion is the process by which the body begins to attack the virus, and detectable antibodies to the virus (those particles used to test for the virus) develop during this time. The only symptoms at this time are flu-like, and so if you believe you have been exposed and develop the flu within the next month, you should seek treatment and ask for an HIV test, as it is possible to infect others even at this early stage.
Flu-like Symptoms
Symptoms of HIV infection resemble infection with the flu virus, influenza. According to flufacts.com, these include: fever, headache, muscle aches, chills, tiredness, dry cough, a runny nose and an upset stomach. Remember, if you believe you have been exposed to HIV and develop these symptoms within the following month, you should seek medical attention and ask for an HIV test.
Asymptomatic Infection
During a very long period after primary infection, there are no symptoms (the asymptomatic stage). During this time, the body is able to keep the infection in check by replacing damaged T-cells (the lymphocyte that is the primary target of the HIV virus). This stage can last up to 10 years or longer, and is the time during which many infected persons infect other people, as there is little reason to suspect infection. Remember: You can't tell just by looking whether you or someone else is infected with HIV.
AIDS
AIDS is the phase during which it becomes apparent that someone has been infected with HIV. AIDS (Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome) is not a disease but a set of conditions that do not usually occur in a person with a healthily functioning immune system. These include but are not limited to: Kaposi's sarcoma (a skin cancer), tuberculosis, PCP (a pneumonia), Candida (thrush), and Varicella zoster. These are known as opportunistic infections (opportunistic because they exploit the weakened immune system). A full list of opportunistic infections and more information can be found at avert.org/hivstages.htm.
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