What do aids stand for

It is the final stage of infection with HIV. It happens when the body's immune system is badly damaged because of the virus.

These symptoms may come and go within two to four weeks. This stage is called acute HIV infection. If the infection is not treated, it becomes chronic HIV infection.

Often, there are no symptoms during this stage. If it is not treated, eventually the virus will weaken your body's immune system. Then the infection will progress to AIDS. This is the late stage of HIV infection. With AIDS, your immune system is badly damaged. You can get more and more severe infections. These are known as opportunistic infections OIs. Some people may not feel sick during the earlier stages of HIV infection. So the only way to know for sure whether you have HIV is to get tested.

A blood test can tell if you have HIV infection. Your health care provider can do the test, or you can use a home testing kit. There is no cure for HIV infection, but it can be treated with medicines. This is called antiretroviral therapy ART. Testing is relatively simple. You can ask your health care provider for an HIV test. Many medical clinics, substance abuse programs, community health centers, and hospitals offer them too.

You can also buy a home testing kit at a pharmacy or online. HIV self-testing is also an option. Self-testing allows people to take an HIV test and find out their result in their own home or other private location.

You can buy a self-test kit at a pharmacy or online. Some health departments or community-based organizations also provide self-test kits for free. Read the U. Self-testing allows people to get tested for HIV while still following stay-at-home orders and social distancing practices. Ask your local health department or HIV service organization if they offer self-testing kits. Content Source: HIV. Possible symptoms include. But some people may not feel sick during acute HIV infection.

Other illnesses can cause these same symptoms. See a health care provider if you have these symptoms and think you may have been exposed to HIV. Getting tested for HIV is the only way to know for sure. But HIV medicine can slow or prevent progression of the disease. With the advancements in treatment, progression to Stage 3 is less common today than in the early days of HIV.

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