Once HIV starts trying to get inside the cells of your immune system, antibodies are created to fight it off. This process, which can take from a few weeks to three months, is called seroconversion. In most people it happens within 45 days of infection.
Some people have a short illness soon after they become infected. Common symptoms include a fever lasting more than a few days, sore throat, aching limbs, a blotchy red rash, headache, diarrhoea and mouth ulcers. In some people this illness is so mild that it passes without being noticed. Some people mistake it for the flu, but for some people it is more severe and they may need to see a doctor. However, because the symptoms are similar to symptoms of many other conditions, HIV might not be diagnosed at the time
This stage of HIV infection is sometimes called primary or acute HIV infection. Most people who become infected with HIV do not know this has happened at the time.
This is the period when someone with HIV is at their most infectious and there is a greater risk of passing on HIV.
HIV infection without symptoms
Once seroconversion is over, most people feel fine and don’t experience any symptoms. This is often called the asymptomatic stage and it can last for several years.
But just because you feel well at this stage doesn't mean HIV isn't doing anything. The virus is still active, infecting new cells, making copies of itself and moving on.
During this stage, doctors will monitor what HIV is doing to your immune system. They can advise you whether you need to think about starting to take HIV treatment.
HIV infection with symptoms
The longer you live with HIV without treatment, the greater your risk of developing symptoms. These can be caused by opportunistic infections that take advantage of your weakened immune system, certain cancers, or the direct effects of HIV on the body. When someone gets ill in one of these ways, they are said to have symptomatic HIV.
The longer someone lives with HIV without treatment, the greater their risk of developing symptoms. If you start treatment before you develop symptoms and you don’t experience problems with it, you may never have any symptoms at all.
Late-stage HIV infection
If HIV has a chance to cause a lot of damage to your immune system, you may become ill from certain very serious infections and cancers. At this stage you may be given a diagnosis of AIDS.
But many people have had an illness which has led to them being diagnosed with AIDS, and then completely recovered and lived for many years, even decades, in very good health.
You cannot catch AIDS and there is no AIDS test.
AIDS is not considered a disease, but a syndrome – a collection of different signs and symptoms, all caused by the same virus, HIV. An AIDS diagnosis is usually based on the presence of certain illnesses.
Many people never experience late-stage HIV infection. It depends on a range of factors, including how well you respond to treatment and on lifestyle factors that influence your health, such as diet, exercise and smoking.
