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What are the symptoms of HIV?

You can become infected and not have real symptoms that would trigger a thought, oh I should go get tested, for years and years and years, until you do. Until the virus has quietly been attacking your immune system, and you hit that threshold where your immune system is weak enough where all of a sudden, you’re sick all the time. I want to catch people early, when they have no symptoms they had no idea because when we start treatment on people early, they have longer lives, they do better, and they don’t have all of this inflammation in their bodies from just having virus there, replicating itself, and damaging their systems. They do much better.

Dr. Flash wants you to know that HIV can have NO symptoms, and that could go on for years! So don’t wait for a sign that you’re feeling sick. Getting tested for HIV (and other sexually transmitted diseases) on a routine basis is the best way to stay on top of your health and knowing exactly what’s going on in your body.

Click here for more HIV basics and click here to find HIV testing locations near you. 

 

#AskTheHIVDoc is a video series from Greater Than HIV featuring top HIV doctors providing answers to commonly-asked questions about HIV prevention, testing and treatment.

This information is shared for educational purposes only and should not be used as a substitute for professional medical advice. The views expressed are those of the featured medical professional and reflect information available to that professional at time of filming. Always consult a health care provider for any personal health decision.

While we make every effort to keep the medical information on our website updated, we cannot guarantee that the information reflects the most up-to-date research. Also, please note the views expressed by individuals who appear in Greater Than HIV videos and other content are their own and are not made on behalf of any groups/organizations/associations.