According to Robert Jasmer, MD, a practicing Critical Care Medicine doctor in Burlingame, HIV infection has different phases and each phase is characterized by various symptoms.
Depending on the phases, the symptoms vary.
Here are the phases of HIV infection
1. Acute HIV infection
This is the first phase. After contracting the disease, the symptoms tend to last for a few weeks and it usually occurs within 2 to 4 weeks after infection.
In this phase, the symptoms may be mistaken for another illness. For instance, flu-like symptoms may be a sign of HIV and at the same time, it may be a sign of malaria. You need a nucleic acid test to confirm if you are positive or negative.
2. Clinical latency (HIV inactivity or dormancy)
It is also referred to as asymptotic HIV infection. During this phase, the virus proliferates at a low rate and therefore the symptoms tend to be less severe. This period may last up to a decade for people who are not using the medicine to treat the scourge.
On this phase, people who are taking the ART drugs are less likely to transmit the malady whereas those who don't take the drugs can easily transmit the virus.
3. Acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS).
This is the most excruciating phase that is associated with varied symptoms. The symptoms include rapid weight loss, profuse night sweats, recurring diarrhoea and fever, fatigue, weakness, swollen lymph glands, sores in the mouth.