Signs & Symptoms of HIV in Men

HIV is the viral sexually transmitted disease that leads to AIDS in many of the people who contract it. It's a common and dangerous misconception that HIV is a gay man's disease. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, anyone who participates in high-risk behaviors, like having unprotected sex or sharing needles, can get the virus and spread it to others. Looking for symptoms is an unreliable way for men to determine if they've been infected as HIV often has no symptoms. Some men will experience mild symptoms that are easily attributed to other medical conditions. The only reliable way to know if you have HIV is to get tested.

Flu-like Symptoms

• According to the Mayo Clinic, one to two weeks after contracting the virus, some men may experience flu-like symptoms such as fever, body aches and nausea. It's easy to ignore these symptoms as a sign of a bigger problem as they're usually not severe. As the virus progresses, flu-like symptoms can persist or progress into pneumonia. Persistent or frequent pneumonia is often a red flag for HIV infection.

Swollen Lymph Glands

• Contracting HIV can cause swelling of the lymph glands throughout a man's body. Swollen glands are a classic sign of infection and may also put up a red flag to your doctor that you've been infected. They're also a common symptom for a number of other diseases and infections, so it's likely your doctor will suspect more minor problems first. This swelling may go unnoticed or go away on its own without treatment.

Rashes and Blotches

• HIV can lead to sores or white spots in the mouth. They can appear on the tongue, the inner cheek area or throat. Sometimes these appear as patches of skin or blotches inside the mouth with brown, red, purple or black discoloration. Outside of the mouth, these may appear on the nose, eyelids and skin around the moth and nose.