What is HIV?

HIV (Human Immunodeficiency Virus) is a virus that attacks the body’s immune system, specifically the CD4 cells (T cells) that help fight off infections. Unlike some other viruses, the body cannot get rid of HIV completely — once you have HIV, you have it for life.

Without treatment, HIV can lead to AIDS (Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome), the most advanced stage of HIV infection. However, with proper medical care, HIV can be controlled, and people with HIV can live long, healthy lives.

Signs and symptoms of HIV

Many people with HIV experience flu-like symptoms within 2 to 4 weeks after infection. This stage is called acute HIV infection. Symptoms can include:

Fever
Chills
Rash
Night sweats
Muscle aches
Sore throat
Fatigue
Swollen lymph nodes
Mouth ulcers

These symptoms can last anywhere from a few days to several weeks. Some people may not feel ill during this stage, but they can still transmit the virus to others.

After the acute stage, HIV moves into a clinical latency stage (also called chronic HIV infection). During this phase, the virus is still active but reproduces at very low levels. People may not have any symptoms or get sick during this time. Without treatment, this period can last a decade or longer, but some may progress faster.

How do you get HIV?

HIV is transmitted through specific body fluids from a person who has HIV. These fluids include:

Blood
Semen and pre-seminal fluid
Rectal fluids
Vaginal fluids
Breast milk

The most common ways HIV is transmitted include:

Sexual contact: Having vaginal or anal sex with someone who has HIV without using protection or taking medicines to prevent or treat HIV
Sharing needles: Sharing needles, syringes, or other drug injection equipment with someone who has HIV
Mother to child: An HIV-positive mother can pass the virus to her baby during pregnancy, birth, or breastfeeding

HIV is not transmitted through saliva, sweat, tears, casual contact like hugging, sharing food, or mosquito bites.

Testing for HIV

HIV testing is the only way to know if you have HIV. There are three types of tests:

Antibody tests: Look for antibodies to HIV in blood or oral fluid. Most rapid tests and home tests are antibody tests.
Antigen/antibody tests: Look for both HIV antibodies and antigens. These can detect HIV sooner than antibody-only tests.
Nucleic acid tests (NATs): Look for the actual virus in the blood. These are the most expensive but can detect HIV earliest.

The time between when a person gets HIV and when a test can accurately detect it is called the window period. For most tests, this is between 10 days and 3 months.

Treatment for HIV

While there is no cure for HIV, antiretroviral therapy (ART) can control the virus and help prevent transmission to others. People who take HIV medicine as prescribed can get an undetectable viral load — meaning the amount of HIV in their blood is so low that it cannot be detected by a standard test.

Having an undetectable viral load means you cannot transmit HIV to a partner through sex. This is sometimes called U=U (Undetectable = Untransmittable).

It’s recommended that people start treatment as soon as possible after diagnosis. HIV medicine should be taken exactly as prescribed to maintain an undetectable viral load.

Preventing HIV

You can reduce your risk of getting HIV by:

Using condoms: Correct and consistent use of condoms during sex significantly reduces HIV risk
PrEP: Pre-exposure prophylaxis is medicine taken by HIV-negative people to prevent HIV infection
Getting tested: Knowing your status and your partner’s status helps you make informed decisions
Avoiding sharing needles: Never share needles, syringes, or other injection equipment

Telling your partner about HIV

If you have HIV, it’s important to inform your sexual partners. Many people with HIV live healthy lives and have HIV-negative partners. Open communication about status, treatment, and prevention methods is essential.

Notify your partners anonymously about an STI with TellYourPartner.com. This allows you to share important health information while maintaining your privacy.