How long does it take to know if you are infected with AIDS?

Written by Xie Ming Feng
Dermatology
Updated on September 17, 2024
00:00
00:00

After being infected with the HIV virus, 50% to 70% of people will experience symptoms similar to a cold, such as fever, headache, sore throat, muscle and joint pain, occasional nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, swollen lymph nodes, and skin rashes, all occurring around half a month later. Of course, some people may not exhibit any symptoms at all. If symptoms do appear, they generally disappear within a month. At this time, it is necessary to conduct a screening test between the first and second month. If necessary, another screening test can be performed in the third month to determine whether there is an HIV infection.

Other Voices

doctor image
home-news-image
Written by Xiong Hong Hai
Infectious Disease
25sec home-news-image

Is a red spot on the arm AIDS?

Red spots on the arm are not necessarily an indication of AIDS; they could be a rash, folliculitis, or other skin diseases. The symptoms of AIDS are not very typical and lack distinct features. It is not possible to diagnose AIDS based on external signs and clinical symptoms alone. To confirm or rule out AIDS, it is necessary to conduct an HIV antibody screening, and a negative result can exclude the infection.

doctor image
home-news-image
Written by Xie Ming Feng
Dermatology
22sec home-news-image

Can an airplane cup (fleshlight) transmit AIDS?

Using a masturbation cup alone will not result in contracting AIDS. However, if the masturbation cup is shared with an AIDS patient, there is a risk of infection. This can occur if the AIDS patient leaves bodily fluids or secretions on the masturbation cup, and the next user's mucous membranes come into contact with these fluids, potentially leading to HIV infection.

doctor image
home-news-image
Written by Ye Xi Yong
Infectious Diseases
41sec home-news-image

How is AIDS transmitted?

The HIV virus primarily exists in the blood, semen, vaginal secretions, ascitic fluid, and bodily fluids of infected persons. There are three main transmission pathways: sexual contact, blood products, and mother-to-child transmission, which include homosexual, heterosexual, and bisexual contact; sharing needles for intravenous drug use, invasive medical procedures, tattooing, as well as transmission from an HIV-positive mother through placental delivery and breastfeeding. Normal activities such as handshaking, hugging, polite kissing, sharing meals, and living together do not transmit the HIV virus.

doctor image
home-news-image
Written by Xiong Hong Hai
Infectious Disease
36sec home-news-image

Can masturbation lead to AIDS?

Masturbating alone cannot lead to HIV infection; HIV requires a source of transmission. Without a source, HIV cannot arise out of nowhere. The HIV virus mainly exists in the bodily fluids of those infected, including blood, vaginal secretions, cervical mucus, breast milk, etc. In fact, if the skin is intact, there usually aren't significant amounts of the virus on the hands. Therefore, masturbating someone else cannot result in HIV transmission. Similarly, an uninfected individual masturbating will not contract HIV, as there is no source of the virus.

doctor image
home-news-image
Written by Xiong Hong Hai
Infectious Disease
43sec home-news-image

Treatment of AIDS

In fact, the treatment of AIDS requires systematic and standardized antiretroviral therapy. Once an HIV infection is confirmed, whether in the early stage, acute phase, or late stage, it is necessary to start antiretroviral therapy as soon as possible. Generally, this involves combining two nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitors with either a protease inhibitor or an integrase inhibitor, or a non-nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitor. It is crucial to take the medication long-term and consistently without discontinuation, as stopping the medication can easily lead to a relapse of the condition.