HIV/AIDS Awareness. A father’s choice.

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HIV Infection Symptom/HIV Infection Symptoms

The initial HIV infection symptoms, according to HIVInsight.com, may resemble common cold or flu virus’s symptoms. The first HIV infection symptoms can also be similar to the symptoms of other sexually transmitted diseases or other infections such  as hepatitis or “mono,” which are much more easily and more frequently transmitted. Anxiety and stress may produce symptoms in some people, even though they are not carrying HIV at all.

HIV Infection Symptom? Some individuals who have contracted HIV may experience very strong symptoms, but others may not experience any symptoms. Those who do have them generally report having fever, fatigue, and, frequently, rash. Other frequently occurring symptoms might include sore throat, headache, and swollen lymph nodes. Such symptoms may be exhibited within days or weeks of the first exposure to the virus during a period of time known as primary or acute HIV infection.  Because HIV infection symptoms can resemble so many other problems of health, the single accurate way of knowing if you have HIV is an HIV test.  As indicated in the above graph, an individual may have been HIV positive for many years without experiencing any symptoms of HIV infection.

Acute HIV Symptoms

How are acute HIV syndromes diagnosed?

Without testing there simply is no diagnosis. Health Care professionals have to recognize acute HIV symptoms and to check for the chance of HIV infection in patients who report vague concerns and known risks to exposure to HIV. The wife of a known injecting drug user, for example, may come to an Emergency Room with diarrhea, a rash, fever, and fatigue. Acknowledging the wife’s possible exposure to HIV through unprotected sex with her husband, the health care provider will be advised to counsel and test the patient for the presence of HIV before a diagnosis of a common illness like the flu is made.