Table of ContentsView AllTable of ContentsAcute HIV InfectionChronic HIV InfectionAIDS-Defining DiseasesNon-HIV-Related Illness
Table of ContentsView All
View All
Table of Contents
Acute HIV Infection
Chronic HIV Infection
AIDS-Defining Diseases
Non-HIV-Related Illness
Although thesigns and symptoms of HIVare largely the same whether you are assigned female or male, there are several specific to women that can occur during early-stage or later-stage infection.
HIV symptoms in women include:
In 2018, of the 1.2 million Americans living with HIV, an estimated 37,832 were women. Of these, 1 in 9 are thought to be unaware of theirHIV status, according to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
Verywell / Michela Buttignol
What Is the Risk of HIV From Vaginal Sex?
Acute HIV infection, also known asacute seroconversion, is the first of three stages of the disease immediately following exposure to the virus. During acute seroconversion, theimmune systemwill produce defensiveantibodiesto help fight the virus and bring the infection under control.
From start to finish, acute seroconversion generally lasts for seven to 14 days, during which some people may experience symptoms (referred to asacute retroviral syndrome, or ARS). Symptoms are typically described as being flu-like with mild fever and body ache.Swollen lymph nodesandrashmay also accompany.
As many as 43% of people will not experience any signs of acute HIV infection, according to a 2016 study inEmerging Infectious Diseases.
Disparities in Infection Rates
When acute symptoms develop, they are generally the same in women as they are in men. Where they do vary is the rate of seroconversion.
Heterosexual women are twice as likely to get infected per sexual act compared to heterosexual men (due in part to the increased size and porosity of vaginal tissues compared to those of the penis).
These and other factors confer higher rates of new infections among women compared to men—and also translates to faster disease progression.
According to a 2014 review in theJournal of Infectious Diseases,women with HIV have a 1.6-fold greater risk of progressing to AIDS (the most advanced stage of the disease) than men.
HIV Statistics You Should Know
HIV and STD Co-Infection
Other symptoms may develop during acute seroconversion if there an accompanyingsexually transmitted disease (STD). Studies suggest that 1 in 7 people with HIV are co-infected with another STD at the time of their diagnosis.Other studies suggest theHIV/STD co-infectionrate may be even higher.
These infections undermine the barrier function of the vaginal mucosa and increase the concentration of immune cells at the site of the infection. Among them areCD4 T-cells, the very cells that HIV preferentially targets.
It is for this reason that the CDC recommendsHIV testingfor anyone who seeks thediagnosisandtreatmentof an STD.
Does Menstruation Increase a Woman’s Risk of HIV?
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This chronic stage of infection, referred to as clinical latency, is one in which the infection may progress silently with few notable symptoms. Even so, the virus will continue to infect and deplete CD4 T-cells that the body relies on to fight disease.
Over time, the loss of CD4 T-cells will lead toimmunosuppressionand an increased risk of opportunistic infections (OIs). They are considered “opportunistic” because an intact immune system would control them.
A CD4 count between 500 to 1,200 cells per cubic millimeter (cells/mm3) is considered normal. Any value between 250 and 500 cells/mm3 is a threshold for defining immunosuppression.
Barriers to Boosting CD4 Counts
Signs and Complications in Women
The symptoms of chronic HIV infection are related to the development of OIs. With that said, secondary conditions affecting a woman’s fertility and menstrual cycle can develop as a result of prolonged immune suppression and chronic inflammation.
The type of OIs commonly seen at CD4 counts between 250 and 500 are more or less the same in females and males. These includeherpes simplex,herpes zoster(shingles), bacterial pneumonia,bacterialandfungal skin infections,tuberculosis, and HIV-associatedmeningitis.
The differences, in any, mainly involve a woman’s reproductive tract. The symptoms may include:
In addition to symptoms, women with HIV will often experience changes that are only recognized during apelvic exam. This may include anabnormal PAP smearor signs ofcervical dysplasia(a precancerous condition affecting the cervix).
Aging Types, Causes, and Prevention
AIDS
Without the means to defend yourself from common and uncommon diseases, AIDS runs a high risk of severe and potentially life-threatening illness. These include infections and certain types of cancers as well.
According to the CDC, a person is said to have progressed to AIDS when:
AIDS-defining conditions include disease are rarely seen among people who have a healthy immune system. They also involve common OIs that have disseminated (spread) from their typical site of infection to other parts of the body.
According to the CDC, the median time of progression from initial HIV infection to AIDS is 11 years if the condition is not treated.
Does HIV Always Progress to AIDS?
Symptoms of AIDS in Women
The symptoms of AIDS vary little between women and men. There are some variations, including evidence that women with HIV experience greater cognitive decline and may be more likely to experience signs of HIV encephalopathy (a.k.a. AIDS dementia complex) than men.
The one AIDS-defining condition exclusive to women is invasive cervical cancer (ICC). This is the advanced stage of cervical cancer in which tumor cells have spread to tissues deeper within the cervix or to other parts of the body. Though ICC can affect both HIV-positive and HIV-negative women, the incidence among women with HIV is up to seven times greater.
As with other HIV-associated conditions, the risk of ICC increases with declines in the CD4 count. Women with CD4 counts under 200 are six times more likely to get ICC than those whose CD4 counts over 500.
Arguably more concerning is the fact that the incidence of ICC among women with HIV has remained largely unchanged since the 1990s. This is unlike other AIDS-defining conditions that are rarely seen today due to the advent ofcombination antiretroviral therapy.
Non-HIV-Related Conditions
In addition to HIV-related conditions, there are a number of non-HIV-related illnesses commonly seen in people with long-term infection. These include cancers and aging-related diseases that develop an average of 10 to 15 years earlier in people with HIV than those without.
Under the burden of chronic inflammation, the body tissues can undergo changes that literally age them, leading to a phenomenon knows as premature senescence. Particularly if left untreated, HIV can increase the risk of non-HIV-related cancers and cardiovascular diseases, including heart attacks and strokes.
In some cases, women are disproportionately affected. Studies suggest, for instance, that women with HIV have a higher risk of heart disease than men due to the activation of white blood cells calledmonocytesthat promote cardiovascular inflammation.
Similarly, women with HIV who engage in anal sex are at increased risk ofanal cancer(due to HPV co-infection). While anal cancer is relatively rare in the United State, women with HIV are 30 times more likely to be affected than women in the general population.
Non-AIDS-defining cancers are the leading cause of death in people with HIV in the developed world, according to research published in theJournal of the International AIDS Society.
Pictures of HIV Mouth Sores
A Word From Verywell
Although certain symptoms may suggest you have HIV, the absence of symptoms should not be considered an all-clear flag. Today, an estimated 1 in 7 Americans living with HIV remain undiagnosed, either because they have no idea they have been infected or are ignoring their suspicions.
The U.S. Preventive Services Task Force currently recommends at least one HIV test for all Americans 15 to 65 as part of a routine medical exam.If you haverisk factors for HIVand have not been tested, there may be no better time to do so than now.
How HIV Is Treated
29 Sources
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