HIV & AIDS Health Center

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After you become infected with HIV, your blood, semen, or vaginal fluids should always be considered infectious, even if you receive treatment for the HIV infection.

Stages of HIV

Most people go through the following stages after being infected with HIV if the infection is not treated:

• Acute retroviral syndrome, which may have symptoms similar to mononucleosis. This often develops within a few days of infection, but may occur several weeks after the person is infected.
• HIV without symptoms (asymptomatic). It may take years for HIV symptoms to develop. But even though no symptoms are present, the virus is multiplying (or making copies of itself) in the body during this time. HIV multiplies so quickly that the immune system cannot destroy the virus. After years of fighting HIV, the immune system starts to weaken.
• HIV with symptoms (symptomatic). After your immune system starts to weaken, you are more likely to develop certain infections or illnesses, such as some types of pneumonia or cancer that are more common in people who have a weakened immune system.
• AIDS, which occurs during the last stage of infection with HIV. If HIV goes untreated, AIDS develops in most people within 10 to 12 years after the initial infection. With treatment for HIV, the progression to AIDS may be delayed or prevented.

A small number of people who are infected with HIV are rapid progressors. They develop AIDS within a few years if they do not receive treatment. It is not known why the infection progresses faster in these people.

Nonprogressors and HIV-resistant

A few people have HIV that does not progress to more severe symptoms or disease. They are referred to as nonprogressors.

A small number of people never become infected with HIV despite years of exposure to the virus. For example, they may have repeated, unprotected sex with an infected person. These people are said to be HIV-resistant.