Most people have cold symptoms about two months after being infected by HIV. Symptoms of acute HIV infection are often similar to influenza. For this reason, they may be dismissed as not serious.

Symptoms of an acute HIV infection include:

• Body aches
• Diarrhea
• Fatigue
• Rash
• Runny nose
• Sore throat
• Lymph gland swelling (generalized)

If the HIV infection is untreated, the virus starts to weaken the immune system, which is unable to fight infections properly.

In those with AIDS, infections start to occur anywhere in the body, including:

• Brain
• Eye
• Intestine
• Lungs
• Mouth
• Skin

Symptoms of AIDS infections include:

• Blurry vision
• Confusion
• Cough
• Diarrhea
• Difficulty breathing
• Eye pain
• Fever
• Headache
• Lesion in the mouth
• Seizures
• Skin lesions:
• Kaposi's sarcoma
• Sore throat