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Time Frames Related to HIV Infection
The window period is the period of time after the virus enters the body and attacks the T4 cells until the body produces antibodies to the virus. It may take between two weeks to six months for antibodies to develop. During this time, the person is infectious; s/he can pass the virus to someone else, and will remain infectious throughout life. However, the person may not have produced sufficient antibodies to be detectable on an HIV antibody test. A newly infected person can infect a partner before antibodies develop, when high amounts of virus in the blood are present.
The incubation period is the interval between HIV infection and the appearance of the first symptoms. It may be several months to many years before persistent symptoms occur.
The latency period is the time frame from HIV infection until the start of persistent symptoms of AIDS. Even without antiretroviral therapy, there is an average of ten years in the latency period. During this time, an HIV-infected person looks and feels fine, but the virus is replicating and slowly destroying T4 cells and the immune system.
At any time after infection, people can infect others through unprotected anal, vaginal or oral sexual intercourse and sharing of injection equipment. The virus can also be passed from an infected woman to her baby during pregnancy, the birth, or through breast-feeding.
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AIDS
