It is possible for a person infected with HIV to show no signs of infection. For women, the most common symptoms of exposure to the HIV virus are frequent or severe vaginal infections, abnormal PAP smears, or pelvic infections (PID) that are difficult to treat.
Within a few weeks of having been infected, many people have flu-like symptoms. However, in some cases, symptoms do not show for many years. As the infection progresses, some symptoms can include 1) swollen lymph glands in the neck, underarm, or groin area, 2) recurrent fever including "night sweats," 3) rapid weight loss for no apparent reason, 4) constant tiredness, 5) diarrhea and decreased appetite, 6) white spots or unusual blemishes in the mouth.
Since women constitute the most rapidly growing segment of the HIV-infected population in the United States, AIDS prevention is particularly important for women's health. HIV is transmitted through bodily secretions, like blood and semen. Using injection drugs, having unprotected sex with someone who has used injection drugs, having unprotected sex with a man who has had sex with another man, and having multiple sex partners all increase the chances of acquiring HIV. According to the FDA, the best way to protect yourself against HIV is abstinence from sexual intercourse and illegal drug use. If you have intercourse, be sure it is with one uninfected partner or that you properly use barrier methods such as condoms and dental dams. Currently, there is no known cure for HIV/AIDS. The best treatment right now seems to be prescription "cocktails," or combinations of prescription drugs. These medications include those for antiviral treatment and other drugs, like oral antifungals to combat yeast infections, which fight diseases that take advantage of the weakened immune response of HIV-infected people. It is also important for HIV-infected women and their physicians to watch for pelvic inflammatory disease or other STDs through screening. Similarly, cervical cancer may be more common and progress more quickly in infected women; for this reason, women with HIV should have Pap Smears twice a year to make sure cancer is detected and treated early. Very few women with HIV were included in early studies of the epidemic, but in 1994, women accounted for 18% of adult participants in the AIDS Clinical Trials Group of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Disease. Studies are focusing on clinical signs of HIV infection in women and on the relationships between pregnancy and HIV. Researchers are investigating "female-controlled" methods of protection by developing creams or gels that women would apply before intercourse to protect themselves from HIV and other sexually transmitted diseases. There is no conclusive evidence on the effectiveness of contraceptive films as a HIV-transmission prevention tool. Most babies born to HIV-infected women escape the virus, but 1 in 4 do become infected before or during birth or through breast-feeding, although no one is certain when viral transmission occurs. Transmission may also be linked to the mother's health during the pregnancy or birth. There are more viruses during the earliest stages of AIDS than later, for example. Currently, physicians may prescribe drug Retrovir (AZT) for infected pregnant women to reduce rates of transmission; effectiveness of this therapy increases the earlier HIV is diagnosed during the course of infection or before or after pregnancy. Yes, it can. HIV can be transmitted through the exchange of body fluids (e.g. blood, semen, saliva, and vaginal secretions). HIV is transmittable through all forms of sexual intercourse (oral, vaginal, and anal) when one or both partners are infected with HIV. Oral sex without a latex condom places you at risk of exposure to HIV. It should also be noted that pre-ejaculation fluid can carry HIV and it can be absorbed into the thin mucous linings of the mouth. The Center for Disease Control (CDC) recommends that during oral sex, a latex condom should be used to decrease risk of exposure.
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