Overview
Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) is a virus that attacks the immune system of your body. Without treatment, it can lead to acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS).
There is currently no effective cure. Once people get human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), they have it for life. But, proper medical care can control the virus. People with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) who get on and stay on effective human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) treatment can live long, healthy lives and protect their partner.
Symptoms
Most people have flu-like symptoms within two (2) to four (4) weeks after infection. Symptoms may last for a few days or several weeks. Having these symptoms alone does not mean you have human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection. Other illnesses can cause similar symptoms.
Some people have no symptoms at all. The only way to know if you have human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) is to get tested.
How it Spreads
Most people who get human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) get it through anal or vaginal sex, or sharing needles, syringes, or other injection equipment.
Only certain body fluids can transmit human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection. These fluids include:
- blood;
- semen (cum);
- pre-seminal fluid (pre-cum);
- rectal fluids;
- vaginal fluids; and
- breast milk.
These fluids must come in contact with a mucous membrane, damaged tissue, or be injected into the bloodstream (from a needle or syringe) for transmission to occur.
Viral load, other sexually transmitted infections (STIs), and alcohol or drug use can increase the chances of getting or transmitting human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection. But, there are powerful tools that can help prevent human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) transmission.
Prevention
Today, more tools than ever are available to prevent human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection. Prevention strategies include:
- using condoms (the right way) every time you have sex;
- never sharing needles, syringes, or other injection equipment; and
- using pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) and post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP) to prevent human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection.
If you have human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection, there are many ways to prevent transmitting human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection to others, including taking human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) treatment to get and keep an undetectable viral load.
Testing
The only way to know your human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) status is to get tested. Knowing your status gives you powerful information to keep you and your partner healthy.
There are many options for quick, free, and painless human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) testing. If your test result is reactive, you can take medicine to treat human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) to help you live a long, healthy life and protect others. If your test result is non-reactive, you can take actions to prevent human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection.
Treatment
Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) treatment (antiretroviral therapy [ART]) involves taking medicine that is prescribed by a healthcare provider. You should start human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) treatment as soon as possible after your diagnosis.
Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection treatment reduces the amount of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) in the blood (viral load). Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) treatment can make your viral load so low that a test cannot detect it (undetectable). If you have an undetectable viral load, you will not transmit human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection to others through sex. Having an undetectable viral load also reduces the risk of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) transmission through sharing injection equipment and during pregnancy, labor, and delivery.
How it Progresses
When people with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) do not get treatment, they typically progress through three (3) stages of the infection. But, human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) treatment can slow or prevent progression of the disease. With advances in human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) treatment, progression to acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) is less common today.
Stage #1: Acute Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) Infection
- People have a large amount of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) in their blood and are very contagious.
- Many people have flu-like symptoms.
- If you have flu-like symptoms and think you may have been exposed to human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), get tested.
Stage #2: Chronic Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) Infection
- This stage is also called asymptomatic human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection or clinical latency.
- Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) is still active and continues to reproduce in the body.
- People may not have any symptoms or get sick during this phase, but can still transmit human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection.
- People who take human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) treatment as prescribed may never move into acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS).
- Without human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) treatment, this stage may last a decade or longer, or may progress faster.
- At the end of this stage, the amount of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) in the blood (viral load) goes up and the person may move into acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS).
Stage #3: Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome (AIDS)
- The most severe stage of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection.
- People receive a diagnosis of acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) based on the levels of their blood tests, or they develop certain illnesses (called opportunistic infections).
- People with acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) can have a high viral load and may easily transmit human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) to others.
- People with acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) have damaged immune systems and can get an increasing number of other serious illnesses.
- Without human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) treatment, people with acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) typically survive about three (3) years.