&lt;h2 style=&quot;-qt-block-indent: 0; text-indent: 0px; margin: 0px;&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;color: #333333;&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;color: #003366;&quot;&gt;Different Stages of HIV Infection&lt;/span&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;section class=&quot;av_textblock_section &quot;&gt;
&lt;div class=&quot;avia_textblock  &quot;&gt;&lt;hr /&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;color: #333333;&quot;&gt;The difference between HIV and AIDS is that HIV is the virus that causes AIDS. AIDS is a syndrome, or a set of clinical signs and symptoms, caused by late-stage HIV infection, especially in the presence of opportunistic infections. Shortly after a person is infected with HIV, he or she may experience ARS (Acute-Retroviral Syndrome). This can just be a flu-like illness, with symptoms of fever, sweats, sore throat, etc. There is also a high risk of concurrent STD infection. STD screening and rapid HIV testing are important to ensure early diagnosis and treatment. Anonymous HIV testing is available at select clinics&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;h3&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;color: #003366;&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;STAGE 1: ACUTE HIV INFECTION&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;hr /&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;color: #333333;&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;color: #003366;&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Acute HIV infection&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&amp;nbsp;occurs&amp;nbsp;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;color: #003366;&quot;&gt;within 2&amp;ndash;4 weeks after exposur&lt;/span&gt;e&lt;/strong&gt;. During this stage, human immunodeficiency viruses will multiply rapidly and start attacking the body&#39;s immune system by destroying CD4 cells.&lt;/span&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;color: #333333;&quot;&gt;An individual will typically experience flu-like symptoms, HIV rash, HIV fever, and other HIV signs and symptoms. HIV transmission risk at this stage is the highest.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;color: #003366;&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Acute-Retroviral Syndrome:&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;color: #333333;&quot;&gt;As the whole body is reacting to fight off HIV, one may experience a variety of symptoms affecting all bodily systems. Some other sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) may display similar signs and symptoms to HIV. Comprehensive STD testing is available to diagnose those STDs.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h4&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;color: #003366;&quot;&gt;General HIV Symptoms&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/h4&gt;
&lt;hr /&gt;
&lt;ul class=&quot;list-arrow col-count-two&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;color: #333333;&quot;&gt;Fever&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;color: #333333;&quot;&gt;Night Sweats&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;color: #333333;&quot;&gt;Lethargy&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;color: #333333;&quot;&gt;Malaise&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;color: #333333;&quot;&gt;Swollen Lymph Nodes&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;color: #333333;&quot;&gt;Weight loss&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;h4&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/h4&gt;
&lt;h4&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;color: #003366;&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Signs and Symptoms on Skin&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/h4&gt;
&lt;hr /&gt;
&lt;ul class=&quot;list-arrow col-count-two&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;color: #333333;&quot;&gt;Rash (HIV Rash)&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;color: #333333;&quot;&gt;Ulcer on the penis, vagina, and other parts of the body&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;h4&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/h4&gt;
&lt;h4&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;color: #003366;&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Digestive HIV Symptoms&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/h4&gt;
&lt;hr /&gt;
&lt;ul class=&quot;list-arrow col-count-two&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;color: #333333;&quot;&gt;Nausea,&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;color: #333333;&quot;&gt;Diarrhoea,&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;color: #333333;&quot;&gt;Loss of Appetite&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;h4&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/h4&gt;
&lt;h4&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;color: #003366;&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Neurological HIV Symptoms&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/h4&gt;
&lt;hr /&gt;
&lt;ul class=&quot;list-arrow col-count-two&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;color: #333333;&quot;&gt;Headache&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;h4&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/h4&gt;
&lt;h4&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;color: #003366;&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Musculo-Skeletal&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/h4&gt;
&lt;hr /&gt;
&lt;ul class=&quot;list-arrow col-count-two&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;color: #333333;&quot;&gt;Muscle aches&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;color: #333333;&quot;&gt;Joint aches&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p style=&quot;-qt-block-indent: 0; text-indent: 0px; margin: 0px;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p style=&quot;-qt-block-indent: 0; text-indent: 0px; margin: 0px;&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;color: #333333;&quot;&gt;Some guys won&amp;rsquo;t have any symptoms for years, while others go through a seroconversion illness a few weeks after contracting HIV. The symptoms of this illness can include any or all of the following:&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p style=&quot;-qt-paragraph-type: empty; -qt-block-indent: 0; text-indent: 0px; margin: 0px;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p style=&quot;-qt-block-indent: 0; text-indent: 0px; margin: 0px;&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;color: #003366;&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Flu-like symptoms include fever, rashes, a sore throat, swollen glands, vomiting, and diarrhoea.&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;color: #333333;&quot;&gt;The seroconversion illness varies in severity and usually lasts a couple of weeks; afterwards, a person will recover and feel as healthy as they normally do. If HIV isn&amp;rsquo;t tested for and treated, a person&amp;rsquo;s health will start to fail within the next decade. They might notice skin problems, stomach issues, or oral thrush, but as their immune system becomes more damaged, they are at risk of conditions like pneumonia, brain infections, and certain cancers. It&amp;rsquo;s important to say that this is very rare nowadays, and it can be easily avoided with regular &lt;strong&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.pulse-clinic.com.sg/hiv-testing&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;text-decoration: underline;&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;color: #003366; text-decoration: underline;&quot;&gt;HIV testing and treatment&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;color: #003366;&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;STAGE 2: Establishment of HIV INFECTION (Asymptomatic HIV infection or Clinical Latency)&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;hr /&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;color: #333333;&quot;&gt;During the chronic HIV infection phase, HIV reproduces at a lower level. HIV-related signs and symptoms will disappear. The immunity system will gradually be weakened and destroyed. It will take a few years before the HIV infection progress to Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS) or the last stage.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;color: #333333;&quot;&gt;If a person living with HIV is undergoing Highly Active Antiretroviral Therapy (HAART) or &lt;span style=&quot;text-decoration: underline; color: #003366;&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.pulse-clinic.com.sg/hiv-treatment&quot;&gt;HIV treatment&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/span&gt;, the infection at the chronic stage can be suppressed. The person needs to adhere strictly to the HIV treatment&amp;nbsp;regime.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;color: #003366;&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;STAGE 3: ACQUIRED IMMUNO DEFICIENCY SYNDROMES (AIDS)&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;hr /&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;color: #333333;&quot;&gt;At this phase, the CD4 for a person living with HIV has fallen drastically. In other words, a person&amp;rsquo;s immunity is severely damaged by HIV. With weak immunity, a person is prone to get serious infections or bacterial and fungal diseases that they would otherwise be able to fight off. These sorts of infections and diseases are called opportunistic infections (OI).&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;/section&gt;

HIV Symptoms

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