Answer:
by Yvonne Fulbright: (07/13/2004)
If you became infected with HIV, the virus that causes AIDS, chances are you wouldn't know. People with HIV may not look or feel sick for years after becoming infected, often feeling healthy and showing no symptoms. Most often, HIV will lie dormant in the body for 7-9 years before its retrovirus effects are seen as symptoms. There are people, however, who do experience flu-like symptoms early on, as well as the following signs:
- chronically feeling tired, light-headed, and headachy (not because of physical exercise), despite adequate rest and diet
- unexplained weight loss of 10 or more pounds in two months, reason for which is unknown
- diarrhea for a long period of time with no reason as to why
- sores in the mouth, nose, or anus that don't heal quickly
- fevers or night sweats which last several weeks, and are unrelated to a cold or other infection, and that don't improve on their own
- swollen lymph glands in the neck, armpits, or groin that aren't associated with injury or infection
- a whitish coating on the tongue, possibly having a sore throat too
- new or slowly enlarging bruises that don't go away
- presistent, heavy, or dry cough, not due to smoking, and that has last too long to be a cold
- shortness of breath
If you think that you've been exposed and/or infected to HIV, make sure you get tested. Talk to a counselor at a test center or community-based HIV/AIDS service organization to make your test experience as easy as possible.
Thank you for visiting the Sexual Health Network.
Yvonne K. Fulbright Reviewed by Sexual Health Editorial Team
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