Stages and Symptoms
Stage 1: Acute primary infection
Around one to four weeks after becoming infected with HIV, some people will experience symptoms that can feel a lot like flu. This may not last long (a week or two) and you may only get some of the flu symptoms – or none at all. Experiencing these symptoms alone is not a reliable way of diagnosing HIV.
Symptoms can include:
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fever (raised temperature)
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body rash
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sore throat
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swollen glands
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headache
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upset stomach
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joint aches and pains
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muscle pain.
Stage 2: The asymptomatic stage
Once the seroconversion stage is over, many people start to feel better. In fact, the HIV virus may not reveal any other symptoms for up to 10 or even 15 years (depending on age, background and overall health). However, the virus will still be active, infecting new cells and making copies of itself. Over time this will cause a lot of damage to your immune system.
Stage 3: Symptomatic HIV infection
By the third stage of HIV infection there has been a lot of damage to your immune system. At this point, you are more likely to get serious infections or bacterial and fungal diseases that you would otherwise be able to fight off. These infections are referred to as ‘opportunistic infections’.
Symptoms that you may have during this time can include:
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weight loss
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chronic diarrhoea
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night sweats
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a fever
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a persistent cough
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mouth and skin problems
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regular infections
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serious illnesses or diseases.
