Asymptomatic HIV infection

After seroconversion, HIV in the peripheral blood usually drops to a low level. A person generally feels healthy and a period of asymptomatic infection may last for several months or many years. Someone with asymptomatic HIV infection may have swollen glands, a condition known as persistent generalised lymphadenopathy.

At this stage, the damage caused by HIV has no clinical effect, but various laboratory tests will usually indicate some degree of immune damage. For example, the CD4 cell count may be below normal levels and viral load tests that track the amount of HIV RNA in the body will indicate that HIV is actively replicating. At no time is the virus truly latent.