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What is HIV?

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HIV is a virus that affects the immune system. There are several stages of HIV infection, and they can help us understand how this virus works, and the importance of finding out you have it, and getting on treatment, soon after an infection.

How HIV Spreads

HIV can spread when certain body fluids from a person with HIV enter another person’s body. These fluids include:

  • Blood
  • Semen (cum) and pre-cum
  • Vaginal fluids
  • Anal fluids
  • Breast milk

HIV can enter the body through:

  • Cuts or broken skin
  • The opening at the tip of the penis
  • Wet areas inside the body like the anus, vagina, urethra (pee hole), or foreskin

HIV is NOT spread through:

  • Sweat
  • Spit (saliva)
  • Tears
  • Pee
  • Poop
  • Snot
  • Everyday contact like hugging or sharing food

To learn more about how HIV is transmitted during sex, check out this section.

What happens after you get HIV?

If someone gets HIV and doesn’t get treatment, it can slowly damage their immune system over time. HIV mainly attacks CD4 T cells — these are white blood cells that help fight infection. Without enough of these cells, the body can have a harder time staying healthy.

Getting tested and starting treatment early helps people live long, healthy lives.

 

Stage 1: Acute HIV

This is the first stage, usually within 2 to 4 weeks after HIV enters the body. During this time:

  • The virus makes lots of copies quickly
  • HIV levels in the blood are very high
  • Most HIV tests won’t detect the virus yet
  • A person is very contagious

During this time, the chances of passing HIV to sexual partners are higher than at other stages of HIV.

Flu-like symptoms and other symptoms may occur during this time, though not everyone will have symptoms. The only way to know if you have HIV is to get tested.

 

Seroconversion Illness:

In some cases, early symptoms of HIV include:

  • Fever and flu-like symptoms
  • Swollen glands in your armpits, groin and neck
  • Feeling tired all of the time
  • Sore muscles and joints
  • Sore throat
  • Diarrhea
  • Headache
  • Rashes on your torso
  • Night sweats
  • Mouth ulcers

Many of these symptoms can be caused by other diseases or illnesses, so having them doesn’t necessarily mean you have been infected with HIV. 

 

Stage 2: Asymptomatic Infection 

After the first few weeks, HIV levels go down but the virus is still in the body. This stage can last for years without symptoms. Without treatment, HIV continues to slowly weaken the immune system.

 

Stage 3: AIDS:

Sometimes it takes years to notice the effects of HIV. After the early stages, HIV is still active, but copies itself at lower levels. This period is called asymptomatic infection.

For people who aren’t getting treated for HIV, the virus can weaken the body’s immune system even further and lead to AIDS (Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome). A person with AIDS’ immune system can get so weak that they might get all kinds of different serious illnesses and infections. Because of modern testing, awareness campaigns, and treatment options, HIV infection becoming AIDS is incredibly rare, especially in Canada where most folks have access to treatment.

If you think you’re HIV-negative but you haven’t been tested in a while, remember that it’s important to get tested for HIV frequently if you’re having sex or using shared injection or drug equipment, whether or not you have symptoms. Being diagnosed early is one of the best ways to access treatment quicker, avoid passing the virus on to someone, and better support your overall health in the long run.

If you acquire HIV, leaving it untreated will negatively impact your health. Research is very clear that getting connected to care early is the best way to maintain your long-term health. HIV infects human CD4 T cells. These immune cells are important for keeping you healthy. Without treatment, HIV can replicate (or make copies of itself) inside immune cells very quickly, depleting those CD4 T cells along the way. Loss of these cells affects your whole immune system. If your immune system is weakened, it may not be able to fight off serious illnesses or age-related diseases as effectively.

This section was adapted, with permission, from The Sex You Want Website.
*disclaimer: we do not necessarily endorse all of the information, content, or language used in these references

 

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