STIs and Symptoms

HIV/AIDS

Human Immunodeficiency Virus / Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndomes

Bacterial Vaginosis

Chlamydia

Congenital Syphilis

Gonorrhea

Hepatitis B

Herpes

HIV/AIDS

HPV

Mgen

Syphilis

Trichomoniasis

About

HIV (human immunodeficiency virus) is the virus that can lead to AIDS (acquired immunodeficiency syndrome). The human body CANNOT get rid of HIV. Once you have HIV, you have it for life. Anyone who is sexually active can get HIV.

HIV is spread by contact with the bodily fluids of an infected person. In the U.S., some of the ways HIV is spread include having sex with or sharing drug injection equipment with an HIV-infected person (source). HIV can also be passed from mother to child during pregnancy, birth, or breastfeeding.

Prevention

Not Sharing Needles or Syringes

Medication

Abstinence

Condoms

Regular Testing

To completely avoid STIs, abstain from vaginal, anal, and oral sex.

If you are sexually active, reduce the risk of HIV infection by:

Use condoms correctly every time you have sex.
Take pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) if you are at high risk.
Avoid sharing needles or syringes.
Get tested regularly and ask your partners to get tested as well.
Discuss STI risks with new partners to make informed choices.

Blood Test

Testing

You’ll need an HIV test to find out if you are infected. Everyone between the ages of 13 and 64 should get tested at least once. People who are higher risk should get tested more often.

For information about testing, HIV visit www.hiv.gov.

Symptoms

The symptoms of HIV vary depending on the person and the stage of the disease. Many people do not have any symptoms at all for 10 years or more.

1) ACUTE INFECTION
Some people have flu-like symptoms (often described as “the worst flu ever”) two to four weeks after exposure. This is called acute retroviral syndrome (ARS) or primary HIV infection. ARS is the body’s response to the infection.

Symptoms can include:

Fever.
Enlarged lymph nodes.
Sore throat.
Rash.

2) CLINICAL LATENCY (INACTIVITY OR DORMANCY)
During this phase, HIV is still active but does not reproduce as much or as fast. People often don’t feel sick during the latency phase, however they can still transmit HIV. This stage may last for a decade or longer, or may progress faster (source).

3) AIDS
At this stage, the immune system is badly damaged. The person becomes vulnerable to other infections and cancers. Without treatment, people with AIDS typically survive about three years.

The following are symptoms of AIDS. Many are related to other infections the body cannot fight off:

Rapid weight loss.
Recurring fever or profuse night sweats.
Extreme and unexplained tiredness.
Prolonged swelling of lymph glands.
Diarrhea that lasts more than a week.
Sores in the mouth, anus, or genitals.
Pneumonia.
Red, brown, pink, or purple blotches under the skin or in the mouth, nose, and eyelids.
Memory loss and depression.

Treatment

There is no cure for HIV, but it can be controlled with proper medical care. Antiretroviral therapy (ART) helps people with HIV live longer, healthier lives.

Complications

Untreated HIV is almost always fatal. It takes advantage of the body’s weakened immune system to cause life-threatening infections or cancers. However, with proper medical care, HIV can be managed to prevent AIDS.