HIV Symptoms in Women
In the present generation, where there is no place for a hiccup or hesitation to involve oneself into sexual delicacies, the complications or consequences are the result.
The world where people have become more open minded, more curious to explore their desires and above all more spontaneous when it comes to needs, the aftereffects leave a permanent scar further spoiling an individual’s health stature.
So, the needs become directly proportional to permanent damage and damage becomes inversely proportional to neglect. Many people who are sexually active often enjoy their spontaneity but forget that the consequences and also neglect them which leaves them vulnerable for more damage.
So, to bo more direct, an active sexual life can bring an individual under the cause and effect umbrella of HIV. Talking statistically, men and women both at equal proportions are susceptible to HIV which means they get themselves in greater danger if they are exceedingly active and chose the path of neglect. Clearing the delusional air, we here list the possible HIV symptoms in women.
HIV Symptoms in Women appear in three stages:
Early Stage (Acute) HIV Symptoms in Women
Just as an individual gets infected with HIV which is within two weeks of infection, the body starts to develop flu-like illness. The seriousness of illness can depend on the strength of the immunity system of the body.
Some of the most common symptoms during this stage are
- Sore throat
- Fever
- Body Rash
- Headache
- Joint pain & Muscle aches
- Lack of Energy
Some of the less common symptoms during this stage are
- Swollen glands that may last for several months
- Infections of the eyes, skin, lungs, digestive tract, kidneys, and brain.
- Night Sweats
- Nausea
- Fatigue
- Vomiting
- Ulcers in the mouth
These symptoms may last for two weeks.
Mid-Stage (Asymptomatic Stage) HIV Symptoms in Women
This can be considered more as a latency period which goes up to 10 years.
Within this period, the body starts to show symptoms of HIV out of which major symptoms include swollen and painful glands.
This can be a recurring symptom and with the advent of time, the pain and swelling might start to increase. It is advised that within this time, an individual should get himself/herself checked for HIV and process with the treatment as early detection can reduce the severity of the disease.
Advanced Stage HIV Symptoms in Women
After early and mid stage, if the individual fails to recognize the symptoms or chose to neglect, the symptoms starts to grow more harsh followed by consistent deterioration of the immune system. Fatigue, dementia and weight-loss can be the advanced stage symptoms which can signify that the HIV infection has progressed to AIDS, discussed in the previous section.
Other than these symptoms classified above, there are several vaginal infections and other infections that occur in a female body. These infections are:
- Unusual menstrual cycles
- Abnormal Pap smears
- Vaginal yeast infections
- Pelvic inflammatory disease
Menstrual Changes
HIV directly attacks the immune system which is why the body’s hormones are disrupted. Hormones such as oestrogen, testosterone and progesterone are greatly affected by HIV. In a female body, oestrogen and progesterone levels are affected which means that the menstrual cycle is agitated.
For any HIV positive women, the symptoms can vary from anything like:
- Missing periods
- Lighter or heavier periods (this can again vary)
- No period for more than 90 days
- Bleeding or spotting in between periods
Pelvic Inflammatory Disease:
PID is the disease that occur in the pelvic area of the body like, uterus, ovaries and fallopian tubes. PID can also be considered as the first symptoms of HIV as well. The major cause of PID is the bacteria in the vaginal area or the cervix and can start from gonorrhoea or chlamydia at the first place. The disease can then follow the fallopian tubes, uterus and ovaries as well further worsening the infection.
Symptoms of PID are:
- Abnormal vaginal discharge
- Lower abdominal pain
- Pain in the upper right abdomen
- Fever
- Irregular menstrual bleeding
- Painful intercourse
Abnormal PAP Smears
PAP Smears is a test that is used to detect the early stage of pre-cancerous and cancerous material possibly in the cervical canal of a female body. The major harbinger to the cervical cancer is the abnormal cell growth which is brought on by HPV also known as the human papillomavirus.
A female body infected by an HIV is likely at an increased risk of attracting the HPV disease which further forces them to undergo an unusual PAP Smears test. Considering the very nature of HIV, the HIV virus attacks the cervical cells which can further cause cervical cancer. It is advised that an HIV positive women should undergo a 6 months PAP Smears test in order to detect the possibilities of cervical cancer.
Yeast Infections
An HIV positive women is more likely to attract yeast infections which might occur regularly. Such infections are resistant towards the standard drugs or medications prescribed by the doctor and also dismantles the immune system of the body.
Common symptoms of Yeast infections:
- Soreness of the vagina.
- Itching and burning in the vaginal/ vulva area.
- Pain during urination or intercourse
- Whitish, odourless vaginal discharge. Also, the discharge is not always there.
Other Psychological Symptoms
Apart from normal or advanced symptoms, there are also psychological symptoms which occur in both men and women. The psychological symptom found in women are:
- Anxiety
- Depression
- Sexual dysfunction
- Excessive forgetfulness
- Dementia
The only way of knowing that you have an HIV is by having yourself tested. There are plenty of HIV testing kits available online and you can order one and test yourself first. It is better to get yourself tested at the earlier stages than later.