Early diagnosis is key to slowing down disease progression.
Illustration by Danie Drankwalter for Verywell Health
What Is Acute HIV Infection?
There are three stages of HIV infection:
Acute HIV infection is the first stage of the infection.
Illustration by Danie Drankwalter for Verywell Health
Usually, within two to four weeks of infection, two-thirds of those with HIV will experience flu-like symptoms.
They are the main first symptoms of HIV, lasting for several days or even weeks.
However, some people may have no symptoms.
How is HIV spread and how can I prevent infection?
However, some differences and unique symptoms can emerge.
Babies with HIV should be treated right away.
Research studies sometimes don’t use the terminology in this way.
How Long Does It Take to Show Symptoms of HIV?
This makes testing all the more critical.
Only antigen/antibody tests or nucleic acid tests (NATs) can diagnose acute HIV infection.
NATs look for actual virus in the blood, and antigen/antibody tests look for HIV antibodies and antigens.
See a healthcare provider if you have symptoms of HIV and think you may have been exposed to HIV.
Getting tested is the only way to know for sure.
The nucleic acid tests (NATs) can confirm an HIV infection in 10 to 33 days.
The antigen/antibody tests do so in 18 to 45 days.
No test can detect HIV immediately after infection.
you’ve got the option to talk with a healthcare provider about HIV testing.
Nucleic Acid Test (NAT)
An NAT involves drawing blood from a vein.
It can tell if you have HIV or how much virus is present in your blood.
This test takes several days for results to come back.
Antigen/Antibody Tests
An antigen/antibody testis commonly used and recommended for testing done in labs.
It involves drawing blood from a vein, with results that take several days to come back.
Antibody Tests
HIV antibody testsonly look for antibodies to HIV in your blood or oral fluid.
Antibody tests can detect an HIV infection 23 to 90 days after exposure.
Most rapid tests and the only HIV self-test currently approved by the Food and Drug Administration are antibody tests.
They take 20 minutes or less to provide results.
The only test that would not require a second confirmatory test is the NAT.
ART works by lowering the amount of virus in the body to very low levels.
ART medication is vital to slowing the progression of HIV infection and protecting the immune system.
Left untreated, HIV will progress to the second stage.
During this stage, people may experience no symptoms at all.
If no treatment is administered, an individual can stay in this stage for 10 to 15 years.
A 2015 study from Japan reported an average of 2.9 years.
There can be differences in how males and females experience symptoms.
Early diagnosis, however, is vital to slowing the progression of HIV.
If you are in a high-risk group, it’s recommended that you test every three to six months.
A number of tests are available, including at-home options.
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Illinois Department of Public Health.Facts about women and HIV/AIDS.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Men who have sex with men.
Planned Parenthood.What are the symptoms & signs of HIV in babies.
Department of Health and Human Services.HIV: U.S. statistics.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.HIV testing.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Understanding a positive result.
