Symptoms And Stages Of Hiv Infection
FAST FACTS
- There are three stages of HIV infection. The symptoms vary in type and severity from person-to-person.
- Stage 1 after initial infection can feel like flu but not everyone will experience this.
- Stage 2 is when many people start to feel better and may last for 10 years or more. During this time a person may have no symptoms.
- Stage 3 is when a persons immune system is very badly damaged and can no longer fight off serious infections and illnesses.
- The earlier a person is diagnosed with HIV and starts treatment, the better their health will be over time.
- Some people dont get any symptoms during stages 1 and 2, and may not know they have the virus, but they can still pass on HIV.
The signs of HIV infection can vary in type and severity from person-to-person, and some people may not have any symptoms for many years.
The stages below describe how HIV infection progresses in the body if it is left untreated. Without antiretroviral treatment for HIV, the virus replicates in the body and causes more and more damage to the immune system.
However with effective treatment, you can keep the virus under control and stop it from progressing. This is why its important to start treatment as soon as possible after testing positive.
How Do You Get Or Transmit Hiv
You can only get HIV by coming into direct contact with certain body fluids from a person with HIV who has a detectable viral load. These fluids are:
- Blood
- Semen and pre-seminal fluid
- Rectal fluids
- Vaginal fluids
- Breast milk
For transmission to occur, the HIV in these fluids must get into the bloodstream of an HIV-negative person through a mucous membrane open cuts or sores or by direct injection.
People with HIV who take HIV medicine daily as prescribed and get and keep an undetectable viral load have effectively no risk of sexually transmitting HIV to their HIV-negative partners.
How It’s Passed On
Herpes is passed on through:
- skin-to-skin contact during vaginal, anal or oral sex without condoms
- sharing sex toys.
It can also be passed from a mother to a baby.
Infection is more likely when blisters are on the skin but it sometimes happens when no blisters are present especially before or straight after an outbreak.
You wont see any blisters inside the vagina, throat or rectum. If you kiss or have oral sex when you have ‘cold sores’ on your mouth , you risk giving your partner herpes on their lips or genitals.
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Lack Of Symptoms In Early Stages
ARS is common once a person has HIV. Still, this isnt the case for everyone. Some people have HIV for years before they know they have it. According to HIV.gov, symptoms of HIV may not appear for a decade or longer. This doesnt mean that cases of HIV without symptoms are less serious. Also, a person who doesnt experience symptoms could still transmit HIV to others.
Symptoms in early HIV tend to appear if the rate of cell destruction is high. Not having symptoms can mean that not as many CD4 cells, a type of white blood cell, are killed early on in the disease. Even though a person has no symptoms, they still have the virus. Thats why regular HIV testing is critical to prevent transmission. Its also important to understand the difference between a CD4 count and a viral load.
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How To Recognize Genital Herpes
Overview
Genital herpes is a very common sexually transmitted disease . It is so common that many people, when they find any skin lesion around the genital areas, are likely to think that it is herpes. They are not entirely wrong to think that way. Genital herpes is the main cause of genital ulcers worldwide.1 And the condition is usually associated with a stigma that can itself cause anxiety and even depression2 and might influence the affected personâs decision to disclose the infection to others or seek care.3
A genital sore is not great news regardless of what is causing it. However, many other conditions causing genital sores have a prognosis different from that of herpes. Some can be worse, but others, unlike herpes,4 can be completely cured. Thatâs why weâre beginning this article with an explanation of how to recognize genital herpes and differentiate it from other genital skin lesions.
A sleeping virus
The herpes virus is known for staying âasleepâ in the body for a long time without showing symptoms. This feature is called latency: once the virus infects a person, after an initial phase that does not necessarily manifest with symptoms, it remains hidden in the body for many years, reactivating every now and then.4 Its reactivation is usually triggered by weakness of the immune system, such as in times of sustained stress, accumulated fatigue, heavy physical activity, or fever, but may not have any apparent cause.5, 6
Herpes skin lesions
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Herpes Simplex Virus And Hiv
There is increasing evidence that genital HSV-2 is facilitating the perseverance of the global HIV-1 epidemic, the virus that causes AIDS, the virus goes into hiding inside nerve cells,80) In a study among patients seen in an STD clinic, and it can cause serious problems for people living with HIVMost HIV-infected patients with T pallidum infection present with typical dermatologic clinical features of primary and secondary disease, CDC recommends that people with HIV and people who are at risk for HIV get the HBV vaccine .The housemates and sexual partnersSTD FactsThere is an estimated 2- to 4-fold increased risk of acquiring HIV, The best way to prevent HBV is to get the hepatitis B vaccine., choose less risky sexual behaviors and use condoms correctly every time you have sex.Herpes & HIV: Not What You ThinkMultiple studies had shown that infection with herpes was associated with an increased risk for HIV infection, Because who you are is more important than what you have.Having an STD can make it easier to get HIV, There are two types of Herpes, Having the herpes virus makes sexual transmission of HIV more likely if the person living with HIV
Does Treating Stds Prevent Hiv
Not by itself. Given the close link between STDs and HIV in many studies, it seems obvious that treating STDs should reduce the risk of HIV. However, most studies that have treated STDs to prevent HIV have not lowered the risk of HIV.6, 15-23
Screening for STDs can help assess a persons risk for getting HIV. Treatment of STDs is important to prevent the complications of those infections, and to prevent transmission to partners, but it should not be expected to prevent spread of HIV.
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What Is The Treatment For Hiv
Individuals who are HIV positive will likely need to see a specialist. As with many other conditions, early detection offers more options for treatment. Today, there are medical treatments that can slow down the rate at which HIV weakens the immune system. However, there are other treatments that can prevent or cure the conditions associated with HIV. Anti-retroviral drug therapy may be given to a pregnant woman, which has proven to greatly reduce the chance of an infant developing HIV. A cesarean section may be recommended to reduce infant transmission from the birth canal. In the U.S., where other feeding options are available, an infected mother should be discouraged from breastfeeding her infant. Consult your child’s doctor for more information regarding various drug therapies.
Understanding Hiv And Aids
Generally speaking, the time it takes to go from HIV infection to AIDS is around five to 10 years if no medical intervention is made. Differences in time can be due to any number of factors, including:
- The genetic strain of HIV a person has been infected with
- The general health of the individual
- The place where the person lives
- A persons genetics or family history
- Smoking and other personal lifestyle choices
This is, of course, if the person receives no treatment. The picture changes entirely if he or she does.
Since 1996, the introduction of antiretroviral drugs has dramatically altered the natural progression of HIV infection. While HIV still cannot be cured, people newly diagnosed with HIV who get treated and stay in care can be expected to have near-normal to normal life expectancies. As with other chronic diseases, early detection is key to identifying and treating the infection as soon as possible.
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Some Stds Are More Closely Linked To Hiv Than Others
In the United States, both syphilis and HIV are highly concentrated epidemics among gay, bisexual, and other men who have sex with men .7, 8 In 2019, MSM only and men who have sex with both men and women accounted for 47% of all primary and secondary syphilis cases among males in which sex of sex partner was known.9 In Florida, in 2010, among all persons diagnosed with infectious syphilis 42% were also HIV infected.10 Men who get syphilis are at very high risk of being diagnosed with HIV in the future among HIV-uninfected men who got syphilis in Florida in 2003, 22% were newly diagnosed with HIV by 2011.2 HIV is more closely linked to gonorrhea than chlamydia .11 Herpes is also commonly associated with HIV a meta-analysis found persons infected with HSV-2 are at 3-fold increased risk for acquiring HIV infection.12-14
What Happens If I Dont Get Treated
Genital herpes can cause painful genital sores and can be severe in people with suppressed immune systems.
If you touch your sores or the fluids from the sores, you may transfer herpes to another part of your body, such as your eyes. Do not touch the sores or fluids to avoid spreading herpes to another part of your body. If you do touch the sores or fluids, immediately wash your hands thoroughly to help avoid spreading your infection.
If you are pregnant, there can be problems for you and your developing fetus, or newborn baby. See Im pregnant. How could genital herpes affect my baby? above for information about this.
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Does Hiv Viral Load Affect Getting Or Transmitting Hiv
Yes. Viral load is the amount of HIV in the blood of someone who has HIV. Taking HIV medicine daily as prescribed can make the viral load very lowso low that a test cant detect it .
People with HIV who take HIV medicine daily as prescribed and get and keep an undetectable viral load have effectively no risk of transmitting HIV to an HIV-negative partner through sex.
HIV medicine is a powerful tool for preventing sexual transmission of HIV. But it works only as long as the HIV-positive partner gets and keeps an undetectable viral load. Not everyone taking HIV medicine has an undetectable viral load. To stay undetectable, people with HIV must take HIV medicine every day as prescribed and visit their healthcare provider regularly to get a viral load test. Learn more.
Im Pregnant How Could Genital Herpes Affect My Baby
If you are pregnant and have genital herpes, it is very important for you to go to prenatal care visits. Tell your doctor if you have ever had symptoms of, or have been diagnosed with, genital herpes. Also tell your doctor if you have ever been exposed to genital herpes. There is some research that suggests that genital herpes infection may lead to miscarriage, or could make it more likely for you to deliver your baby too early.
Herpes infection can be passed from you to your unborn child before birth but is more commonly passed to your infant during delivery. This can lead to a potentially deadly infection in your baby . It is important that you avoid getting herpes during pregnancy. If you are pregnant and have genital herpes, you may be offered anti-herpes medicine towards the end of your pregnancy. This medicine may reduce your risk of having signs or symptoms of genital herpes at the time of delivery. At the time of delivery, your doctor should carefully examine you for herpes sores. If you have herpes symptoms at delivery, a C-section is usually performed.
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Are Hiv And Aids The Same Thing
HIV is the virus that causes AIDS. In the United States, at present, its not as common for people with HIV to develop AIDS because of the developments seen in HIV treatment: ART.
Early treatment and detection are crucial when it comes to stopping the progress of HIV. This means that knowing the early signs and symptoms of HIV as well as regularly checking your sexual health is key to knowing your HIV status.
If the HIV infection is not detected and progresses into stage 3 , the bodys immune system will begin to deteriorate and the individual will be at risk of experiencing severe illnesses. Although there is no specific test used to diagnose AIDS, a doctor is likely to take into account the individuals symptoms as well as the viral load and CD4 count .
Will Treating Someone For Stds Prevent Them From Getting Hiv
No. Its not enough. Screening for STDs can help assess a persons risk for getting HIV. Treatment of STDs is important to prevent the complications of those infections, and to prevent transmission to partners, but it should not be expected to prevent spread of HIV.
If someone is HIV-positive and is diagnosed with an STD, they should receive counseling about risk reduction and how to protect their sex partner from getting re-infected with the same STD or getting HIV.
Health care providers with STD consultation requests can contact the STD Clinical Consultation Network . This service is provided by the National Network of STD Clinical Prevention Training Centers and operates five days a week. STDCCN is convenient, simple, and free to health care providers and clinicians. More information is available at www.stdccn.orgexternal icon.
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What Happens If Herpes Goes Untreated
How does it affect the body if it is es if herpes is not treated? The pain of Herpes can be severe, but it is not as severe as other STDs. It is possible that you will still have outbreaks without treatment, or they will only occur rarely without treatment. It is natural for some people to stop getting outbreaks after a while.
How To Live Healthily With Hiv
Besides the answer to how does HIV turn into AIDS? here are also tips about how to live healthily with HIV.
1. Eat a Healthy Diet
A healthy diet is the key to boosting your immune system. You need to eat a well-balanced diet that is rich in nutrients. Some good options are whole grains, lean meat, fresh vegetables and fruits.
2. Avoid Wrong Types of Foods
Avoid foods which you are allergic to. In addition, you need to avoid raw sea food, half cooked meat, raw eggs and unpasteurized dairy products. They may cause foodborne illness and the level of severity of consequences is multiplied in HIV patients.
3. Get Vaccinations
Since you are more susceptible to common infections, you should get immunized against them. At the same time, you should avoid vaccines that are made using live viruses which can cause diseases since your immune system is already weakened.
4. Take Care with Pets and Other Animals
Pets and animals may carry parasites that will cause infections in people with HIV. For example, cats carry feces that can cause toxoplasmosis. Always wash your hands after handling animals.
5. Avoid Getting Stressed
If you feel stressed, increase your sleep time, and try stress relieving practices such as breathing exercises. This is because stress lowers the level of immunity in your body, and this can increase your chances of developing AIDS faster.
6. Dont Engage in Risky Sexual Behavior
7. Improve Your Lifestyle
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Hiv And Stds Are Spread In The Same Ways
You can get HIV or an STD by having sex without a condom with a person who is already infected. HIV and some STDs can be passed from a mother to her baby while she is pregnant, during birth or through breast feeding. HIV and some STDs can also be spread by sharing drug “works” with someone who has HIV or an STD.
What Std Can Be Mistaken For Herpes
Because herpes has symptoms that can mirror the symptoms associated with various other viruses and conditions, it is easy to mistake herpes for something else.
Herpes symptoms can be mistaken for many other things, including:
- A different STI that causes visible lesions, such as syphilis or HPV
- Irritation caused by shaving
- Hemorrhoids
- Bug bites
If you suspect you may have a herpes infection, consult with your healthcare physician to get tested for herpes.
Want to test for STDs from the comfort of your own home? Screening for high-risk HPV genotypes can be done from home with the at-home HPV Test. Everlywell also offers STD tests for men and women so you can check for 6 other common sexually transmitted infections, including chlamydia, gonorrhea, syphilis, hepatitis C, HIV, and trichomoniasis.
After you receive your kit, you collect your sample at home, send it to a lab for testing, and receive your digital results in days.
References
1. Genital HPV Infection – Fact Sheet. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. URL. Accessed February 11, 2021.
2. Genital Herpes – CDC Fact Sheet. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. URL. Accessed February 11, 2021.
3. HPV infection. Mayo Clinic. URL. Accessed February 11, 2021.
4. Genital herpes. Mayo Clinic. URL. Accessed February 11, 2021.
5. Human Papillomavirus Statistics. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. URL. Accessed February 11, 2021.
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