HIV infection is a dangerous infectious disease that affects the immune system, disrupts the body's protective functions and gradually makes it defenceless against other infections and diseases.

In the early stages of HIV, there are no symptoms, but some clinical symptoms appear that may indicate the presence of HIV. In some cases, they are similar to the symptoms of ARVI:  fever or diarrhoea without an evident cause that lasts for more than a month, muscle and joint pain, rash, sore throat and mouth ulcers, enlarged lymph nodes, weight loss, impaired kidney function, rapid decline visual acuity and other signs. It is worth paying attention to them if, before the appearance of such symptoms, you had unprotected sex or contact with another person's blood.

The only way to know if you have the virus is to pass the test. A blood test shows the presence of HIV 3 months after infection. Before that, there is an incubation period. During such an incubation period, antibodies can not be detected by rapid tests, but a person can already transmit the virus to others.