Expert: Codie Sprinkle - 2/16/2007

Question
what are the major symptoms of hiv and aids.is there any cure for it

Answer
It is not possible to reliably diagnose HIV infection or AIDS based on symptoms alone.

People living with HIV may feel and look completely well but their immune systems may nevertheless be damaged. It is important to remember that once someone is infected they can pass on HIV right away, even if they feel healthy.

As time passes without effective treatment, HIV weakens an infected person's immune system, making them much more vulnerable to opportunistic infections. These infections are caused by germs that are around us all the time but which can normally be fought off by a healthy immune system. Once HIV has broken down the body's defenses, such infections can take hold and produce any of a wide range of symptoms - some of them very severe. Certain cancers also become more common when the immune system is weakened.


Such symptoms are, however, not caused directly by HIV, and they can't by themselves be interpreted as definite signs of HIV infection or AIDS. A diagnosis of AIDS requires signs of severe immune deficiency, which cannot be explained by any factor except HIV. This generally requires an HIV test.

The only way to know for sure whether a person is infected with HIV is for them to have an HIV test.

Some people who become infected with HIV do not notice any immediate change in their health. However, some suffer from a brief flu-like illness within a few weeks of becoming infected, or develop a rash or swollen glands. These symptoms do not indicate the development of AIDS, and they usually disappear within a few days or weeks.

Many illnesses have flu-like symptoms or cause swollen glands. You cannot have HIV unless you have been directly exposed to the virus. HIV can be transmitted during sexual intercourse with an infected person, through contact with infected blood or breastmilk, or during unsafe injections or medical procedures. If you are not sure whether or not you have been put at risk then first read our page about how you can and can't be infected with HIV.

The only way you can find out whether or not you have been infected is to have an HIV test.

There is no known cure for HIV or AIDS but there is a vaccine that is being worked on as we speak.  The medical field is a fun and complicated field and we're making advancements in it every day.  I am sure that one day very soon we will find something.  I hope this helped you out some.