Table of ContentsView AllTable of ContentsStage 1 SymptomsStage 2 SymptomsStage 3 SymptomsDo I Have HIV?Next in HIV/AIDS GuideCause and Risk Factors of HIV
Table of ContentsView All
View All
Table of Contents
Stage 1 Symptoms
Stage 2 Symptoms
Stage 3 Symptoms
Do I Have HIV?
Next in HIV/AIDS Guide
Verywell / Colleen Tighe
HIV Among Black People in the U.S.HIV disproportionately affects people of color in the United States. Because they are less likely to receive HIV-specific care, Black people with HIV are at a seven-fold greater risk of death than White people with HIV.This is despite the fact that Black people are no less likely to be diagnosed during later-stage infections than White people.
HIV Among Black People in the U.S.
HIV disproportionately affects people of color in the United States. Because they are less likely to receive HIV-specific care, Black people with HIV are at a seven-fold greater risk of death than White people with HIV.This is despite the fact that Black people are no less likely to be diagnosed during later-stage infections than White people.
Stage 1 Symptoms: Primary Infection
Primary infection occurs when HIV enters the body and theimmune systemis activated to fight the virus. Also known asacute seroconversion, this is the stage where the body tries to control the infection.
Symptoms during this stage may include:
Not everyone who gets HIV develops symptoms during primary infection. Those who do generally do so within two to four weeks of exposure.
Primary infection can last for around two to four weeks, after which symptoms will clear as the immune system brings the infection under control. However, the virus is not gone but instead starts to hide itself in tissues (calledlatent reservoirs) throughout the body.
Early symptoms like these don’t necessarily mean you have HIV. But if you are sexually active and haverisk factors for HIV(includingcondomless sex, multiple sex partners, or being aman who has sex with men), you should get tested.
HIV Among Black MSM and Trans PeopleBlack peopleand men who have sex with men (MSM) account for the lion’s share of new HIV infections in the United States. Roughly 30% of all new cases are amongBlack MSMwho have no less than a 50/50 chance of getting HIV in their lifetime.Blacktransgender peopleare also at risk, particularly Black trans women of whom 62% are living with HIV.Causes for this disparity include stigma, racism, higher rates of poverty, and lack of access to quality healthcare.These may not only discourage a person from seeking diagnosis and treatmentbut also account for higher rates of HIV-associated illness and death in Black populations.
HIV Among Black MSM and Trans People
Black peopleand men who have sex with men (MSM) account for the lion’s share of new HIV infections in the United States. Roughly 30% of all new cases are amongBlack MSMwho have no less than a 50/50 chance of getting HIV in their lifetime.Blacktransgender peopleare also at risk, particularly Black trans women of whom 62% are living with HIV.Causes for this disparity include stigma, racism, higher rates of poverty, and lack of access to quality healthcare.These may not only discourage a person from seeking diagnosis and treatmentbut also account for higher rates of HIV-associated illness and death in Black populations.
Black peopleand men who have sex with men (MSM) account for the lion’s share of new HIV infections in the United States. Roughly 30% of all new cases are amongBlack MSMwho have no less than a 50/50 chance of getting HIV in their lifetime.Blacktransgender peopleare also at risk, particularly Black trans women of whom 62% are living with HIV.
Causes for this disparity include stigma, racism, higher rates of poverty, and lack of access to quality healthcare.These may not only discourage a person from seeking diagnosis and treatmentbut also account for higher rates of HIV-associated illness and death in Black populations.
Stage 2 Symptoms: Clinical Latency
Clinical latency, also known as chronic HIV infection, occurs when the initial symptoms have cleared, but the infection persists at lower levels in the blood. During this prolonged secondary stage, the virus is still contagious even if a person isasymptomatic(without symptoms).
Withouttreatment, chronic HIV infection usually progresses to AIDS within 10 years or more.For some people, clinical latency may be as short as two years.Genetics, lifestyle, general health, and a lack of access to quality healthcare can contribute to faster disease progression.
As more and more of these cells are destroyed, theCD4 count(which measures the number of CD4 T-cells in your blood) can drop beneath normal levels of 500 to 1,500, leaving the body less able to recognize and fight infections.
During clinical latency, a person may experience non-specific symptoms like:
Certain opportunistic infections (OIs)—meaning infections that the body can usually control when the immune system is intact—can also start to appear. Some of the more common include viral infections likegenital herpesandshingles.
With treatment in the form ofantiretroviral drugs, people can remain in this stage indefinitely and never progress. The drugs can also help normalize the CD4 count, reducing your risk of OIs.
Verywell / Julie Bang
HIV and Poverty in Black and Latinx CommunitiesAccording to research from Emory University, the rate of poverty among people living with HIV in urban Latinx communities is about two times greater than their White counterparts. For Black communities, it is about seven times greater.This translates to faster disease progression and poorer survival times in people of color.
HIV and Poverty in Black and Latinx Communities
According to research from Emory University, the rate of poverty among people living with HIV in urban Latinx communities is about two times greater than their White counterparts. For Black communities, it is about seven times greater.This translates to faster disease progression and poorer survival times in people of color.
Stage 3 Symptoms: AIDS
AIDS (acquired immune deficiency syndrome)is the most advanced stage of HIV where the body’s immune defenses have been fully breached. This leaves you vulnerable to an ever-widening range of severe and even life-threatening OIs.
An AIDS diagnosis is less common today due to the widespread use ofantiretroviral drugs. The risk of AIDS is greater in those with a lack of access to healthcare or who avoid testing due tostigmaor the fear of discrimination or illness.
AIDS Diagnoses Among Black PeopleDue to health inequities and other vulnerabilities, Black people with HIV are more than 10 times more likely to progress to AIDS than White people with HIV and three times more likely than Latinx people with HIV.
AIDS Diagnoses Among Black People
Due to health inequities and other vulnerabilities, Black people with HIV are more than 10 times more likely to progress to AIDS than White people with HIV and three times more likely than Latinx people with HIV.
How to Know if You Have HIV
Because many of the earlier symptoms are easily missed or attributed to other less serious causes, a person may only realize they have HIV whether they develop a serious OI liketuberculosisor a rare AIDS-defining illness likemycobacterium avium complex (MAC).
The problem with this it is far harder to rebuild the immune system when treatment is started at CD4 counts below 200. When the CD4 count is below 100 or 50, a person may never reach normal levels even with treatment.
To this end, it is important toget testedif you have risk factors for HIV whether you have symptoms or not. These include:
Based on these risk factors, the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) recommends once-off HIV testing for all people between the ages of 15 and 65 as part of a routine healthcare visit.The CDC similarly endorses once-off testing between the ages of 13 and 64.
For people at ongoing risk—such as sexually active men who have sex with men, people with multiple sex partners, and injecting drug users—routine HIV testing is recommended.
Summary
HIV has three three stages: primary, clinical latency, and AIDS. People in the primary stage may experience flu-like symptoms between two and four weeks after exposure. People in the latent stage (which can last 10 years or more) may experience persistent fatigue, swollen lymph nodes, and recurrent respiratory infections.
When HIV progresses to AIDS, symptoms can vary based on the type of opportunistic infections a person gets. Treatment with antiretroviral drugs can restore the immune system and should be started at any stage of infection.
23 Sources
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.
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Facts About HIV/AIDS You May Not KnowHIV: Signs and Symptoms to Look Out ForCause and Risk Factors of HIVWhat to Expect Before, During, and After an HIV TestAn Overview of HIV Treatment
Facts About HIV/AIDS You May Not Know
HIV: Signs and Symptoms to Look Out For
Cause and Risk Factors of HIV
What to Expect Before, During, and After an HIV Test
An Overview of HIV Treatment
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