Untreated, HIV progresses through three stages. The first is acute HIV infection. This stage presents two to four weeks after a person is infected with the virus. In this stage, flu-like symptoms may be seen. This occurs when the body is trying to fight off the infection. However, not everyone who contracts HIV has these symptoms. This is also a time when viral loads are high, making HIV very infectious to others.

The second stage is called asymptomatic or chronic HIV infection. In this phase, the virus is often dormant and multiplies at a lower rate of speed. At this point, a person may have no symptoms. However, though it’s harder to transmit the virus at this time, it can still be passed on to others.

As a person’s viral load increases, he or she moves into the third stage of HIV. This is the stage that we all know as AIDS (acquired immunodeficiency syndrome). AIDS is the lethal part of the disease, in which the body is no longer able to fight off infections.

In this stage, symptoms like fever, sweating, chills, swollen lymph nodes, weakness, and weight loss can be seen. Medical professionals will declare this state when T cells fall below 200 cells/mm and if known illnesses associated with AIDS develop. Untreated, a patient will live for about three years once AIDS is diagnosed.

This brings us to an important and confusing question: is there now a cure for HIV?

The answer is no. There is no cure. However, something called antiretroviral therapy (ART) has changed the spectrum of HIV. ART was introduced in the mid 1990’s. Since then, it has been developed to the point that HIV can actually be controlled.

In fact, a person with HIV can live almost as long as someone with a negative HIV status. For example, studies show that a 20-year-old who is diagnosed with HIV can live into his or her 70’s through the use of ART. This is how celebrities that we hear about in the news are living long and healthy lives.