HIV causes AIDS and interferes with the body’s ability to fight infections.
The virus can be transmitted through contact with infected blood, semen, or vaginal fluids.
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Within a few weeks of HIV infection, flu-like symptoms such as fever, sore throat, and fatigue can occur. Then the disease is usually asymptomatic until it progresses to AIDS. AIDS symptoms include weight loss, fever or night sweats, fatigue, and recurrent infections. but remember during the early stages, it is hard to tell for sure that one is infected with HIV.
It is only between two to four weeks after infection that the first signs of the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) begin to manifest, Healthline reports.
In the first two to four weeks after infection, you are likely to experience several symptoms. They include muscle pain, sore throat, swollen glands, headaches, fever, vomiting, skin rash, fatigue, diarrhea, dry cough, night sweats, joint pain, swollen lymph nodes and ulcers on the mouth.
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Some people may continue to experience the symptoms for several weeks while others may not show any symptoms at all but they can still transmit the disease to other people.
However, having either of those signs doesn’t always mean that you have HIV, it could be you are suffering from a different illness. To be sure, visit a VCT for testing.
HIV is a virus that weakens the immune system and predisposes the body to opportunistic diseases. It does not have a cure, but it can be controlled using treatments such as antiretroviral (ARV) drugs
