This Month's HIV/AIDS Facts

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Question: What are the signs and symptoms of AIDS?

Basic Answer: Only a doctor can tell if someone has AIDS (a result of HIV infection). At first, many people with HIV begin by having flu-like symptoms, followed by no signs or symptoms at all. Later, some people may have severe or prolonged--

• Fever
• Fatigue
• Diarrhea
• Skin rashes
• Night sweats
• Loss of appetite
• Swollen lymph glands
• Significant weight loss
• White spots in the mouth or vaginal discharge (signs of yeast infection)
• Memory or movement problems

Detailed Answer: AIDS is a result of HIV infection. People with HIV have different signs and symptoms as their infection progresses. Only a doctor can tell what the signs and symptoms mean. At first, many people with HIV have flu-like symptoms, followed by a period of no symptoms at all. As a result, people may not even know they have HIV infection. Later, some people may have severe or prolonged--

• Fever
• Fatigue
• Diarrhea
• Skin rashes
• Night sweats
• Loss of appetite
• Swollen lymph glands
• Significant weight loss
• White spots in the mouth or vaginal discharge (signs of yeast infection)
• Memory or movement problems

People with HIV may suffer from a variety of opportunistic infections, as well as from cancers (including invasive cervical cancer in women, Kaposi’s sarcoma and lymphoma), pneumonias and tuberculosis. Many of these illnesses do not readily occur in someone with a healthy immune system. In addition, people with AIDS may have trouble with certain body organs, such as the lungs, liver, kidneys, intestines and heart. Each person with AIDS may have a distinct set of signs and symptoms.

People need to know the following:

• Even if they look and feel healthy, all HIV-positive people (even those who are on combination drug therapy) should be considered able to infect others with the virus.
• Having the signs or symptoms listed above may indicate symptomatic HIV infection or AIDS.

SOURCES:

• Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. MMWR, 2002; vol. 51, no. RR-8. "Guidelines for Preventing Opportunistic Infections Among HIV-Infected Persons--2002: Recommendations of the U.S. Public Health Service and the Infectious Diseases Society of America."
• Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. MMWR, 1998; vol. 47, no. RR-5. "Report of the NIH Panel to Define Principles of Therapy of HIV Infection."
• DeVita, V., Jr., et al., eds. AIDS: Etiology, Diagnosis, Treatment and Prevention, 4th ed. 1997.

For current statistics, contact the CDC National AIDS Hotline (800/342-AIDS), Spanish (800/344-7432), TTY/TDD (800/243-7889); the CDC Voice and Fax Information System (888/232-3228); the CDC National Prevention Information Network (800/458-5231) or its Web site at www.cdcnpin.org; or the CDC HIV/AIDS Web site at www.cdc.gov/hiv/dhap.htm.