Three Signs You Might Have HIV Without Knowing It

A surprising 1 in 8 people who have AIDS don't even know they have it yet - are you one of them?

The pandemic is still growing. Today about 37 million people are living with HIV worldwide, and 5% of those infected are children who got the virus from their mothers.

According to the AIDS Foundation of Chicago to raise awareness and help you detect the disease early on, here we narrate some signs in each stage of illness to watch for.

Stage one

The manifestations of HIV infection may not present themselves for many years. But most people will experience flu-like symptoms 2-4 weeks after infection.

Fever, headaches, swollen lymph nodes, tiredness, joint pain and a possible rash are all signs of the HIV. These are also common symptoms of the usual flu, so if there is any probability you've been infected and these signs show up, it's best to be tested for HIV and start treatment as soon as possible.

Stage two

After the initial flu-like symptoms, which may persist for weeks, the virus enters a latent period where no symptoms are detectable. This period may last up to a decade if it's not treated with antiretroviral therapy (ART), but with the help of this therapy, the latent period can last for three or more decades.

Stage three

By stage three the HIV has advanced to full-blown AIDS, and this condition is usually fatal within 2-3 years if untreated. The main signs of AIDS are most often identified by extreme and rapid weight loss. People living with AIDS may also have prolonged diarrhoea (lasting more than a couple of weeks), extreme fatigue, severe night sweats, pneumonia, herpes (mouth and genital sores), a persistent dry cough, dementia and purple, red, pink or brown spots on the skin. Patient with AIDS should not have every one of these symptoms, but many wills.

HIV doesn't progress quickly to AIDS if detected early on.
If somebody with HIV started treating with antiretrovirals, this person could live almost as long as someone without AIDS. The one encumbrance is taking daily pills carefully for the rest of life.

Make sure you protect yourself from HIV. And stay healthy.

Also please consider if somebody of your encircling is HIV-positive, you should not be afraid of such a person or limit contact with this person. Today, 1 March is Zero Discrimination Day. The day to live free from violence, persecution, discrimination & stigma, which are among the foremost barriers to HIV prevention, treatment, care & support. Demand zerodiscrimination for all.