Also known asacute seroconversion syndrome, this is the stage where the body tries to control the infection.
During acute infection, the immune system will defend itself by releasing chemicals that causeinflammation.
The rash mostly affects the upper body and may be accompanied by mouth or genital ulcers.
Verywell / Colleen Tighe
Not everyone who gets HIV develops symptoms during acute infection.
Those who do generally do so within two to four weeks of exposure.
Early symptoms like these don’t necessarily mean you have HIV.
Verywell / Julie Bang
During chronic infection the virus is able to persist by hiding in latent reservoirs.
Those in circulation will continue to target and kill white blood cells calledCD4 T-cellsthat direct the immune assault.
Some of the more common include viral infections likegenital herpesandshingles.
With treatment in the form ofantiretroviral drugs, people can remain in this stage indefinitely and never progress.
The drugs can also help normalize the CD4 count, reducing your risk of OIs.
This leaves you vulnerable to an ever-widening range of severe and even life-threatening OIs.
An AIDS diagnosis is less common today due to the widespread use ofantiretroviral drugs.
Summary
HIV has three three stages: acute, chronic, and AIDS.
People in the acute stage may experience flu-like symptoms between two and four weeks after exposure.
Treatment with antiretroviral drugs can restore the immune system and should be started at any stage of infection.
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