What are the symptoms of AIDS?

Written by Xiong Hong Hai
Infectious Disease
Updated on May 27, 2025
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Actually, the symptoms of AIDS are not very typical. When it progresses to the AIDS stage, which is the late stage of the disease, symptoms such as unexplained persistent fever, weight loss, cough, chest tightness, diarrhea, phlegm, sore throat, swollen lymph nodes, rash, and others may appear. Some patients may also develop many white powdery deposits on the oral mucosa, and some may experience pain when swallowing. Different opportunistic infections have different symptoms.

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Written by Xie Ming Feng
Dermatology
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Can you get AIDS from oral sex?

Generally speaking, it is possible to contract HIV through oral sex. If the skin and mucous membranes of the areas involved are intact and there are no wounds, then the chance of infection is relatively small. However, if the skin and mucous membranes of the contact areas are damaged or have wounds, then the risk of infection significantly increases.

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Written by Xiong Hong Hai
Infectious Disease
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Can AIDS be transmitted in just one exposure?

Regarding AIDS, it is generally difficult to contract, unless through transfusion. If blood containing the HIV virus is transfused, then the risk in one occurrence is about 90%-100%. Other methods, such as vaginal intercourse, anal intercourse, needle stick injuries, and mother-to-child transmission, have a relatively low probability of infection per occurrence. The risk of typical vaginal intercourse is below 0.1% per occurrence, whereas the risk of anal intercourse is slightly higher, around 1%-3%. AIDS is mainly transmitted sexually.

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Written by Xie Ming Feng
Dermatology
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Can AIDS cause coughing?

Once AIDS patients enter the AIDS phase, due to the sharp decline in the body's immune function, their respiratory system will be compromised. Various bacteria, viruses, fungi, and parasites can all infect the lungs, leading to various types of pneumonia, which then results in symptoms of coughing. Therefore, AIDS patients do cough.

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Written by Xie Ming Feng
Dermatology
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Can two people who do not have AIDS get AIDS?

Two people who do not have HIV, when staying together or living together, cannot contract HIV. AIDS is definitely caused after being infected with the HIV virus. When discussing infectious diseases, there must be a source of infection and a mode of transmission. Therefore, if two people do not have HIV and are together, there is no source of infection, and thus the transmission of HIV is impossible.

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Written by Xiong Hong Hai
Infectious Disease
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Routes of HIV transmission

According to epidemiological surveys of AIDS, the main mode of transmission is actually through sexual contact, which accounts for 90% of all transmission methods. Besides sexual transmission, it can also spread through blood transmission and mother-to-child transmission. Blood transmission mainly refers to needle stick injuries, intravenous drug use, and there are also risks involved with eyebrow tattooing, ear piercing, and tattooing. If pregnant women with AIDS do not receive proper intervention, the virus can easily be transmitted to the newborn, and this is the concept of mother-to-child transmission.