Genuine Quiestion, so Gen answers please. HIV?

Does anyone reading this have either HIV or AIDS and if so how soon after contracting it did you begin to experience symptoms. What were those symptoms?

There are no specific symptoms. It attacks your ability to fight disease so you get everything and your body can't defend itself.

I worked as a contractor in Southern Africa, most AIDS victims I knew died from flu, Pneumonia or TB. You die from other diseases.

HIV is treatable to a certain degree. It takes a few years to develop full blown AIDS.

if you think you may have it the best thing to do is go and see the doc

HIV doesn't kill you. The bacterias do!
If you think you might have it, go and see a doctor.
Do not try to calm yourself with the answers of people

Hello,

I am some what you could call an advocate, in terms of supporting the ducation of hiv/aids.

From doctors and professor that i engage in conversation on a regular basis, it hasn't been known for symptoms to start showing. The thing that i know for a fact is Psysomatic, which you actual have symptoms for a disease that you do not have.

People who were 100% infected would start to see symptoms from 2-4 weeks. it is called acute infection....

You could get tested, if this question applies to you. There are various test to show if an individual is infected with the hiv or not.

pcr --> within 10 days
p24 2-3 weeks
antigen--> average is 22 days ....most people would seroconvert about a month time....

As far as I know, the time difference between acquiring the virus and the popping up of symptoms are variably, 1week-12 years......

a few minor and major symptons are-
Swollen lymph nodes
Decreased amount of blood platelets causing haemorrage and fever
Sweating at night and weight loss
Severe damage to brain which may cause memory loss, loss of ability to speak or think
Patient, most commonly and importantly, becomes susceptilble to other infectious dieases due to breakdown of immune system and maybe the main cause of death......

Horrific huh???? So always practice safe sex(altho' it aint the only way of getting AIDS).....

First infection with HIV. After several years, you may or may not become a AIDS patient.ie, when you are unable to defend against other diseases.
Please see the webpages for more details and images on HIV and AIDS.

Honestly, if you feel you have been exposed to HIV or aids, you really should go and get yourself tested. Most of the folks on here are not experts and not really qualified to give medical advice. The ones who have it can tell you about symptoms, but why waste time? Go see a health care professional. If you're at risk or have Aids, the sooner you begin treatment, the better. If you don't have it, a visit to a doc will put your mind at rest. Good luck!

a serum test can tell whether the antigen is present in your system.. the anti hiv defense.. however it will take 3 months for an all clear.

it almost seems cruel to people that HIV has those 1st "symptoms" cuz when u look at them, they are things that anyone can have, everyone experiences memory loss at one point or another, some more then others, some people get really bad colds that could seem like the flu, so if ur someone whos afraid to go to the doctor cuz ur afraid of wut the results mite be...u could go months worrying about it, and you know that thing about how if u think ur sick, u make urself sick? well if you think you have stuff like the flu or mem. loss, then maybe you bring it upon urself...i guess all im trying to say is if you have any thought that you might have something, just go to the doctor, not to be mean but if u DO have something, wouldnt it be better to just know and get on medications and put ur mind at rest...its not just gonna go away if u have it and dont do anything about it

i would just see Dr for a blood test

I'm not H.I.V but I've worked a lot of people with it and the truth is that its a very individual virus, some people depending on lifestyle health and fitness can have HIV and not have any symptoms for over 20years, this is called slow progressive HIV, and others have died in a matter of a couple of years. Mate if you are worried you may have HIV then please see your local GUM practise. Its far better to know than not knowing. Please take care

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O tratamento 茅 para a vida toda, ou quando as defesas do organismo atingem patamares aceit谩veis (c茅lulas CD4 igual ou maior que 200) e o tratamento seja suspenso por orienta莽茫o m茅dica.
Infelizmente, a popula莽茫o brasileira de baixa renda n茫o tem os devidos esclarecimentos sobre a import芒ncia da continuidade do tratamento e do respeito aos hor谩rios certos para tomar a medica莽茫o. Medica莽茫o que 茅 fornecida gratuitamente pelo Minist茅rio da Sa煤de.
Cabe, ainda, salientar que muitos n茫o tem nem mesmo o dinheiro da passagem para ir at茅 um Posto de Sa煤de retirar a medica莽茫o e com isso abandonam o tratamento.
Hoje, existem diversos f谩rmacos para o tratamento da AIDS, de acordo com o hist贸rico de cada paciente.
O que 茅 preciso entender que AIDS 茅 uma doen莽a como qualquer outra. Precisa de cuidados especiais, tratamento adequado, paci锚ncia, esfor莽o, dedica莽茫o e muita aten莽茫o e amor da fam铆lia e amigos. Afinal de contas, falamos de seres humanos.
Portanto, o que mais mata neste pa铆s 茅 a desinforma莽茫o, n茫o a doen莽a HIV/AIDS.