For many people, the earliest signs of HIV are easy to overlook. Fatigue that lingers, a mild rash, a low fever, or flu-like symptoms may appear — or nothing at all. Some people feel completely healthy for months or even years after infection. Often, a diagnosis comes only through routine testing, long after the virus has entered the body.Health experts warn that without renewed global attention, millions more could contract HIV by 2030. Understanding how subtle those early symptoms can be is a step toward both awareness and prevention.

In one online account, a man described waking up after a full night’s rest unable to get out of bed. “It wasn’t just tiredness,” he wrote. “It felt like my body had switched off.” Later tests revealed HIV — the infection likely active for years.Another person shared that a week after a high-risk encounter, they developed rashes and fever. Unsettled, they ordered a free at-home HIV test. Within minutes, a faint line appeared. “I knew what it meant,” they said. “That moment changed everything — and saved my life.”