It is not the virus (HIV) all by itself that makes the infected person sick, although some persons have passing flu-like symptoms initially. The virus may take a very long time before it has a serious impact on the person's immune system. It is the weakening of the immune system that makes the person sick. A compromised immune system may mean that illnesses like pheumonia or kaposi's sarcoma are more likely to develop. These opportunistic diseases are really what make an infected person sick.
Yes. At the onset, the only symptoms may be flu-like. And an infected individual may or may not present with that. Then a latency period (short or longer) will ensue where "nothing is wrong" and the person feels fine. Later on after treatment (if it was successful), an infected individual who has very low viral load will feel and will appear in every way to be healthy - at least to look at him.
This is simple - HIV infection tends to be asymptomatic for several years. When there are clinical signs of the original infection, they tend to be non-specific (fever, malaise, gastrointestinal upset, upper respiratory or sinus irritation, etc.). These signs are often attributed to the flu or a cold and are often ignored.
AIDS is a "sexually transmitted disease" (STD). That means it can be passed from person to person during sex if one of them has the disease. If neither of them has AIDS, sex won't cause it. Of course, a person can have AIDS without knowing it. It can take some time after infection before any symptoms show up. And even before symptoms show up, an infected person can pass the disease along. So if you are sexually active, it's a good idea to get yourself tested at a free clinic or doctor's office. It's an even better idea to always practice safe sex!
Its rare for a man to have a vagina
Yes, hookworms are able to penetrate intact skin and that is actually the main way for a person to become infected. Hookworms usually infect a person who has been walking barefoot in contaminated soil. Most people who are infected show no symptoms and do not even know that they have the parasite. If a person does show adverse symptoms, and it is due to hookworm, there is medicine to treat the infected person.
Infected animals often have no symptoms.
Not exactly. "HIV positive" means that someone's test for HIV antibodies came back positive, i.e. that the antibodies are present and that the person has at least been exposed to, and is almost certainly infected with, the virus. AIDS, however, is a syndrome, or condition. There isn't a specific test for it, so the terms "positive" and "negative" have no real meaning. AIDS means that not only is the person infected, but the infection has progressed to the point that they are showing symptoms. You can be "HIV positive" (the test showed antibodies) or "HIV negative" (the test did not show antibodies), but not "AIDS positive" or "AIDS negative". Everyone with AIDS is (or should be, since HIV is the virus that causes AIDS) "HIV positive", but it's possible to be "HIV positive" for a considerable length of time before eventually developing AIDS.
Yes. Everyone who is infected with HIV is a carrier and infectious. Most people who become infected with HIV will not initially know or notice that they have been infected, but some will suffer symptoms of a short seroconversion illness when they develop HIV antibodies (generally two to six weeks after HIV exposure). Seroconversion illness can be similar to (and can be easily mistaken for) flu, glandular fever, tonsillitis or a serious herpes attack, but is rarely severe enough to require hospitalisation or even result in an immediate HIV diagnosis. The speed at which an untreated person will go on to develop AIDS varies greatly, but most people will remain asymptomatic for several years (it is estimated that around half the people with HIV develop AIDS within 10 years of becoming infected).
Absolutely YES! A person can be infected and shedding the virus about 24 hours before they show ANY symtoms. And keep in mind some people can be infected and not ever show symtoms. Good hygine and vaccination is the best bet!
The HIV virus is a lentivirus, meaning that it is slow acting and will cause illness over a long period of time. When people use the word latent in regards to HIV they usually mean that a person infected with the virus will not show symptoms of illness for quite some time. After initial infection, some patients will show mild flu-like symptoms within the first 1-6 months. However, many of these symptoms are non-specific, and unless someone suspected that they might have been infected with HIV and knew to test for it, they would just think they came down with the flu. These symptoms soon disappear, and the person will probably be asymptomatic (showing no signs or symptoms) for years. It is not until the virus has sufficiently damaged the immune system that the person will begin to show signs of infection, so called opportunistic infections. This can take years to develop, however, thus lending credence to the idea that HIV is latent.
If you are infected then it takes about 48-96 hours before you develop symptoms. Do note that you will be contagious before developing strep throat symptoms.
AIDS or HIV is a latent disease. It can show up years after contracting the disease.
50% of men infected show symptoms of chlamydia.
Certainly. Only a test which is specific for detecting HIV, the virus which causes the disease AIDS, can tell weather someone is infected with this virus. It does not show up a a by product of some other tests.