HIV is caused by a virus. It may possibly spread by way of sexual Speak to, capturing of illicit medicines or use of shared needles, and contact with contaminated blood. It can also distribute from guardian to child all through pregnancy, childbirth or breastfeeding.
Someone with HIV at this time might come to feel and look absolutely great. But they can nonetheless very easily transmit the virus to Other individuals.
In truth, a number of people won’t have any symptoms at all. So Even though you don’t have any of the typical indications of an infection, you'll want to constantly get tested if you believe you happen to be at risk.
Symptoms can final a few days to numerous weeks. Acute-stage HIV symptoms can mimic other situations, similar to the flu or common chilly. It's important not to assume that you've got HIV. You could take into consideration receiving analyzed for your virus if you believe you could have been subjected to HIV.
Even though these symptoms may very well be mistaken for the flu or mononucleosis, the real difference lies within the persistence and mix of these indicators.
Use condoms or other barrier procedures effectively alongside drinking water- or silicone-dependent lubricants to prevent breakage.
This normally contains sexually transmitted infections that lead to a discharge, like chlamydia or gonorrhea.
Even though many people are asymptomatic throughout this phase, some should still have symptoms after the acute an infection.
Mainly because it requires time for your body to generate adequate antibodies to succeed in detectable levels, you might need to wait for 3 months or maybe more—referred to as the window time period—in advance of an antibody test can return an accurate outcome. Newer blend assessments could possibly Slash that time to fourteen times.
People with any type of genitalia can build hypogonadism, but it surely’s a lot easier to observe the effects in people with a penis, for instance:
Getting medicines early may also help limit damage to your immune system to maintain you wholesome. Antiretroviral therapy (ART) also can maintain the virus at an undetectable degree to be able to stay away from passing the virus on to any individual else.
Use a blood transfusion. Often the virus could be transmitted as a result of blood from a donor. Hospitals and blood banking companies display the blood provide for HIV.
Tell your sexual associates you may have HIV. It is click here important to inform all of your present and earlier sexual partners that you're HIV constructive. They have to be tested.
HIV — brief for human immunodeficiency virus — is often a virus that influences the immune system — much more particularly, white blood cells often called CD4 cells, or T cells, which might be A part of the immune procedure.