CARE@HANDS

Symptoms

The symptoms of HIV and AIDS vary, depending on the phase of infection. Primary infection (Acute HIV) Some people infected by HIV develop a flu-like illness within 2 to 4 weeks after the virus enters the body. This illness, known as primary (acute) HIV infection, may last for a few weeks. Possible signs and symptoms include:

• Fever
• Headache
• Muscle aches
• joint pain
• Rashx
• Sore throat and painful mouth sores
• Swollen lymph glands, mainly on the neck
• Diarrhea
• Weight loss
• Cough
• Night sweats

• Fever
• Fatigue
• Swollen lymph nodes — often one of the first signs of HIV infection
• Diarrhea
• Weight loss
• Oral yeast infection (thrush)
• Shingles (herpes zoster)
• Pneumonia

Progression To AIDS

• Sweats
• Chills
• Recurring fever
• Chronic diarrhea
• Swollen lymph glands
• Persistent white spots or unusual lesions on your tongue or in your mouth
• Persistent, unexplained fatigue
• Weakness
• Weight loss
• Skin rashes or bumps

Causes

HIV is caused by a virus. It can spread through sexual contact, illicit injection drug use or sharing needles, contact with infected blood, or from mother to child during pregnancy, childbirth or breastfeeding. HIV destroys CD4 T cells — white blood cells that play a large role in helping your body fight disease. The fewer CD4 T cells you have, the weaker your immune system becomes. How does HIV become AIDS? You can have an HIV infection, with few or no symptoms, for years before it turns into AIDS. AIDS is diagnosed when the CD4 T cell count falls below 200 or you have an AIDS-defining complication, such as a serious infection or cancer.

How does HIV become AIDS?

You can have an HIV infection, with few or no symptoms, for years before it turns into AIDS. AIDS is diagnosed when the CD4 T cell count falls below 200 or you have an AIDS-defining complication, such as a serious infection or cancer.

How HIV spreads

To become infected with HIV, infected blood, semen or vaginal secretions must enter your body. This can happen in several ways:

• By having sex. You may become infected if you have vaginal, anal or oral sex with an infected partner whose blood, semen or vaginal secretions enter your body. The virus can enter your body through mouth sores or small tears that sometimes develop in the rectum or vagina during sexual activity.


• By sharing needles. Sharing contaminated injection drug paraphernalia (needles and syringes) puts you at high risk of HIV and other infectious diseases, such as hepatitis.


• By Blood transfusions. In some cases, the virus may be transmitted through blood transfusions. Hospitals and blood banks screen the blood supply for HIV, so this risk is very small in the U.S. and other upper-middle-income countries. The risk may be higher in low-income countries that are not able to screen all donated blood.


• During pregnancy or delivery or through breastfeeding. Infected mothers can pass the virus on to their babies. Mothers who are HIV-positive and get treatment for the infection during pregnancy can significantly lower the risk to their babies.

How HIV doesn't spread

You can't become infected with HIV through ordinary contact. That means you can't catch HIV or AIDS by hugging, kissing, dancing or shaking hands with someone who has the infection. HIV isn't spread through the air, water or insect bites.

Risk factors

Anyone of any age, race, sex or sexual orientation can be infected with HIV/AIDS. However, you're at greatest risk of HIV/AIDS if you:

• Have unprotected sex. Use a new latex or polyurethane condom every time you have sex. Anal sex is riskier than is vaginal sex. Your risk of HIV increases if you have multiple sexual partners.


• Have an STI. Many STIs produce open sores on your genitals. These sores act as doorways for HIV to enter your body.


• Use illicit injection drugs. People who use illicit injection drugs often share needles and syringes. This exposes them to droplets of other people's blood.

Prevention

There's no vaccine to prevent HIV infection and no cure for HIV/AIDS. But you can protect yourself and others from infection. To help prevent the spread of HIV:

• Consider preexposure prophylaxis (PrEP). The combination oral drugs emtricitabine plus tenofovir disoproxil fumarate (Truvada) and emtricitabine plus tenofovir alafenamide fumarate (Descovy) can reduce the risk of sexually transmitted HIV infection in people at very high risk. PrEP can reduce your risk of getting HIV from sex by about 99% and from injection drug use by at least 74%, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Descovy hasn't been studied in people who have receptive vaginal sex. The FDA recently approved cabotegravir (Apretude), the first injectable PrEP to reduce the risk of sexually transmitted HIV infection in people at very high risk. The injection is given by a health care provider. After the first two monthly injections, cabotegravir is given every two months. The injection is an option in place of a daily PrEP pill. Your health care provider will prescribe these drugs for HIV prevention only if you don't already have HIV infection. You will need an HIV test before you start taking any PrEP. The test should then be done every three months for pills or before each injection for as long as you're taking PrEP. Your health care provider will also test your kidney function before prescribing Truvada and continue to test it every 6 to 12 months. Other regular testing may also be needed. You need to take the pill form every day or closely follow the injection schedule for cabotegravir. They don't prevent other STIs, so you'll still need to practice safe sex. If you have hepatitis B, you should be evaluated by an infectious disease or liver specialist before beginning therapy.


• Use treatment as prevention (TasP). If you're living with HIV, taking HIV medication can keep your partner from becoming infected with the virus. If you make sure your viral load stays undetectable — a blood test doesn't show any virus — you won't transmit the virus to anyone else through sex. Using TasP means taking your medication exactly as prescribed and getting regular checkups.


• Use post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP) if you've been exposed to HIV. If you think you've been exposed through sex, needles or in the workplace, contact your health care provider or go to the emergency department. Taking PEP as soon as possible within the first 72 hours can greatly reduce your risk of becoming infected with HIV. You will need to take medication for 28 days.


• Use a new condom every time you have sex. Use a new condom every time you have anal or vaginal sex. Women can use a female condom. If using a lubricant, make sure it's water-based. Oil-based lubricants can weaken condoms and cause them to break. During oral sex use a nonlubricated, cut-open condom or a dental dam — a piece of medical-grade latex.


• Tell your sexual partners if you have HIV. It's important to tell all your current and past sexual partners that you're HIV-positive. They'll need to be tested.


• Use a clean needle. If you use a needle to inject illicit drugs, make sure it's sterile and don't share it. Take advantage of needle-exchange programs in your community. Consider seeking help for your drug use.


• If you're pregnant, get medical care right away. If you're HIV-positive, you may pass the infection to your baby. But if you receive treatment during pregnancy, you can significantly cut your baby's risk.


• Consider male circumcision. There's evidence that male circumcision can help reduce the risk of getting HIV infection.