Almost inevitably, with the passage of time, individuals with HIV will develop the symptoms of full-blown AIDS. On average, people with HIV first develop mild symptoms of opportunistic infections 7–8 years after exposure to HIV if they are not taking antiretroviral medications.

Opportunistic infections

As HIV damages the immune system, many different bacteria, viruses, fungi, and protozoa take this opportunity to invade and infect the body. People may be HIV+ for many years before they develop such opportunistic infections. There are some opportunistic infections, such as herpes and yeast infections, which people without HIV commonly get, and some opportunistic diseases, such as Kaposi's sarcoma, that people rarely get unless they have HIV or another immune-suppressing condition. There are 26 HIV-related opportunistic infections that are considered AIDS-defining opportunistic infections.

AIDS-defining opportunistic infections

The current definition of AIDS was created in 1993. It includes a list of opportunistic infections and cancers, known as diagnostic indicators. The definition also emphasizes the importance of the level of CD4+ cells in the blood (Bartlett, 2004).

See which opportunistic infections and diseases, when accompanied by a positive HIV test, indicate AIDS

Treating HIV-related symptoms and opportunistic infections

Antiretroviral drugs delay the onset or weaken the symptoms of opportunistic infections because they preserve some immune system functioning. Some HIV-related symptoms and opportunistic infections, like those shown in the table below, can be diagnosed and treated in medical settings with minimal resources, and sometimes even at home. Others require more advanced medical technology for diagnosis and treatment, and therefore are rarely diagnosed or treated in resource-poor countries. These include such infections as toxoplasmosis, Mycobacterium avium complex disease (MAC), and Cytomegalovirus infection (CMV).

Some HIV-related symptoms and opportunistic infections and treatments:

SYMPTOM OR INFECTION	TREATMENTS
Yeast Infections	Use antifungal creams, suppositories, and lozenges Use antifungal pills
Herpes	Shorten (but not cure) outbreaks with treatment
Shingles	Use pain-relief therapies, including nerve-blockers and skin treatments Take anti-herpes drugs, as shingles is caused by a virus similar to the one that causes herpes
Pulmonary Tuberculosis	If the disease is not active, treatment with a single medicine is required for 6 months If the disease is active, treatment with a combination of medicines is required for 6 months

It is important for people with HIV to keep their immune systems as strong as possible by eating nutritionally sound foods, making sure that food and water are clean and safe, getting vaccines for common opportunistic infections, and having acute illnesses diagnosed and treated as soon as possible.

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