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HIV can be passed on because the virus is present in the sexual fluids and blood of infected people. If infected blood or sexual fluids
get into your body, then you can become infected.
If a man with HIV has vaginal intercourse without a condom, infected fluid could pass into the woman's blood stream through a tiny cut or sore inside her body. This can be so small that you don't know about it. If a couple have anal intercourse the risk of infection is greater than with vaginal intercourse.
If a man has unprotected sex (i.e. without using a condom) with a woman infected with HIV, the AIDS virus could get into the man's blood through a sore patch on his penis or by getting into the tube which runs down the penis.
If there is any contact with blood during sex, this increases the risk of infection. For example, there may be blood in the vagina if intercourse happens during a woman's
periods. There can also be bleeding during anal intercourse.
Clinical
Features
Symptoms of AIDS
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Diarrhea |
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Fever |
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Loss of weight |
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Prolonged, unexplained fatigue |
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Swollen glands (lymph nodes) |
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Fever lasting more than 10 days |
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Chills |
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Excessive sweating especially night sweats |
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Mouth lesions including yeast lesions and painful, swollen gums |
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Sore throat |
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Cough |
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Shortness of breath |
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Changes in bowel habits including constipation |
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Frequent diarrhea |
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Symptoms of a specific opportunistic infection (such as candida, pneumocystis, and so on) |
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Tumor (Kaposi sarcoma) |
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Skin rashes or lesions of various types |
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Unintentional weight loss |
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General discomfort or uneasiness (malaise) |
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Headache |
Additional symptoms that may be associated with this disease:
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Speech impairment |
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Muscle atrophy |
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Memory loss |
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Decreasing intellectual function |
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Joint swelling |
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Joint stiffness |
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Joint pain |
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Cold intolerance |
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Bone pain or tenderness |
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Unusual or strange behavior |
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Slow, sluggish, lethargic movements |
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Anxiety, stress, and tension |
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Groin lump |
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Generalized itching |
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Genital sores (female) |
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Genital sores (male) |
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Blurred vision |
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Double vision |
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Light sensitivity |
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Blind spots in the vision |
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Decreased vision or blindness |
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Chest pain |
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Flank pain or pain in the sides |
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Back pain |
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Abdominal pain |
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Loss of appetite, indigestion, or other |
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Gastrointestinal upsets |
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Muscle pain |
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Bone pain or tenderness |
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Numbness and tingling |
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Seizures |
Note: Initial infection may produce no symptoms. Some people with HIV infection remain without symptoms for years between the time of exposure and development of AIDS. Many other symptoms may develop in addition to those listed above.
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