June 27th is National HIV Testing Day, a day to encourage people to get tested for HIV, know their status, and receive the care and treatment they may need.
The human immunodeficiency virus, or HIV, damages the immune system so that the body is less able to fight infection or disease. If HIV isn’t treated, it can take years before it weakens the immune system enough to become AIDS.
HIV is a sexually transmitted infection (STI) and can be spread through unprotected sex. It can also be spread through contact with HIV-infected blood, and spread to a child during pregnancy, childbirth, or breastfeeding.
The symptoms of HIV and AIDS can vary depending on the person and the phase of infection. There are three types of HIV infection. They include:
- Primary infection or acute HIV: Some people infected with HIV get a flu-like illness within two to four weeks after the virus enters the body. This stage can last a few days to several weeks. Some people have no symptoms during this stage. Others may experience:
- Fever
- Headache
- Muscle aches and joint pain
- Rash
- Sore throat and painful mouth sores
- Swollen lymph glands, mainly on the neck
- Diarrhea
- Weight loss
- Cough
- Night sweats
These symptoms can be so mild that you may not notice them. However, the amount of the virus in your bloodstream, or viral load, is high at this time. As a result, the infection can spread to others more easily during the primary infection stage than during the next stage.
- Clinical latent infection or chronic HIV: In this stage, HIV is still in the body and cells of the immune system. However, during this time, many people don’t have symptoms or the infections that HIV can cause. This stage can last for many years. As the virus continues to multiply and destroy immune cells, you may get mild infections with long-term symptoms, such as:
- Fever
- Fatigue
- Swollen lymph glands, which are often one of the first symptoms of HIV infection
- Diarrhea
- Weight loss
- Oral yeast infection
- Shingles
- Pneumonia
Better antiviral treatments have greatly decreased deaths from AIDS worldwide. Thanks to these lifesaving treatments, most people with HIV in the U.S. today don’t get AIDS. If untreated, HIV most often turns into AIDS in about eight to ten years.
Unfortunately, there is no cure for HIV/AIDS. However, medicines can control the infection and keep the disease from getting worse. Antiviral treatments for HIV have reduced AIDS deaths around the world, and there is an ongoing effort to make ways to prevent and treat HIV/AIDS more available in resource-poor countries.
National HIV Testing Day was created by the National Association of People with AIDS to increase the number of people being tested for HIV and was first observed on June 27th, 1995. This year’s theme is “Level up your self-love: check your status”. Knowing your HIV status helps you choose options to stay healthy.
HIV testing, including self-testing, is the pathway to engaging people in care to keep them healthy, regardless of their test results. Ending the HIV Epidemic in the U.S. Initiative continues to guide efforts to help us reach all people who can benefit from HIV prevention and care.
To participate in National HIV Testing Day, you can use the hashtag #HIVTestingDay on your social media channels and communicate to your friends and family that there are many options for getting tested for HIV. HIV testing is a critical tool to help end the HIV epidemic in the United States.
All content of this newsletter is intended for general information purposes only and is not intended or implied to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Please consult a medical professional before adopting any of the suggestions on this page. You must never disregard professional medical advice or delay seeking medical treatment based upon any content of this newsletter. PROMPTLY CONSULT YOUR PHYSICIAN OR CALL 911 IF YOU BELIEVE YOU HAVE A MEDICAL EMERGENCY.