The human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) attacks and suppresses the immune system and weakens your defense against infections and certain cancer that people with strong immune systems can easily fight off.
HIV can be transmitted through intercourse, infected sharp objects, and coming in contact with bodily fluids.
According to VeryWellHealth, signs that may indicate you are HIV positive are:
1. Sudden, Unexplained Weight Loss
Weight loss is common in patients living with HIV when the disease advances.
This kind of weight loss is more than just a few pounds, it’s a sudden, unexplained weight loss of 10 percent or more of a person’s body weight, in which both fat mass and lean muscle are lost.
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The condition is also known as HIV wasting syndrome. It’s not as common today as it once was due to the availability of antiretroviral drugs which keep the virus suppressed and make the immune system rebuild itself. Wasting is mainly seen in people who have not been treated for HIV.
The exact trigger of HIV wasting is not known, but it is thought that the frequent inflammation brought on by HIV makes the body burn energy faster and lowers male hormone levels (which the body requires to build lean muscle.
Other triggers of wasting include lack of proper nutrition, chronic diarrhea, tuberculosis, and cancer all of which need urgent diagnosis and treatment.
2. Swollen Lymph Nodes
Swollen lymph nodes can happen in the early stages of HIV as the body attempts to kill the virus.
The lymph nodes of the armpits, neck, groin, or behind the ear may become bigger sometimes, the swelling is very obvious. Swollen lymph nodes may cause pain or be tender to the touch.
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Even as the other signal of the acute HIV infection disappears, swollen lymph nodes can continue in some persons for several weeks or months.
Swollen nymphs are also common with opportunistic infections such as tuberculosis and HIV-associated cancers.
