HIV infection rates are particularly high among men who have sex with other men,  it’s important to note that a significant percentage of heterosexual individuals are contracting HIV each year. According to the U.S. CDC, an estimated 56,300 Americans are contracting HIV annually, a statistic that public health officials agree is extremely unsettling. In fact, 31 percent of annual new HIV cases in the U.S. can be attributed to heterosexual contact. Furthermore, approximately 28 percent of individuals living with HIV in the U.S. contracted the disease via heterosexual activity.

Who’s Contracting HIV?

According to the CDC’s most recent HIV and AIDS statistics, men who have sex with men account for approximately 53 percent of all new annual U.S. HIV infections. Furthermore, approximately 48 percent of people living with HIV are men who have sex with men, making it the only at-risk group in which an increasing number of members have been contracting HIV since the early 1990s.

Current HIV and AIDS statistics also indicate that women account for about 27% of annual new HIV infections in the country. Additionally, approximately 25 percent of individuals living with HIV are women. IV drug users, by comparison, correspond to about 12 percent of annual new U.S. HIV infections and 19 percent of those living with HIV.

Living With HIV AIDS Today

The CDC estimates that currently, over one million people are living with HIV in the United States. What’s more alarming, perhaps, is the fact that approximately one out of every five infected individuals does not know that he or she has the disease.

Though medical science has made it possible to continue living with HIV, AIDS is always a concern for those infected. Once HIV progresses to AIDS, the immune system can become severely compromised. This is precisely why regular HIV testing is crucial for those at risk. Once detected, HIV can be managed via antiretroviral drugs and other effective treatments. In fact, whereas HIV was once considered a fatal disease, according to the CDC’s website, “HIV is now a chronic disease requiring ongoing primary care management.” The key, however, is to identify infection through routine testing even in the absence of early HIV symptoms which often aren’t present.

Who’s at Risk for Contracting HIV?

Those who engage in high-risk sexual behavior are at an increased risk for contracting HIV. This includes engaging sexually with multiple partners at a time and neglecting to use protection during all forms of intercourse. Additionally, anyone infected with an STD such as Chlamydia, gonorrhea, or genital herpes, is at an increased risk of contracting HIV. In fact, the CDC’s website states that “individuals who are infected with STDs are at least two to five times more likely than uninfected individuals to acquire HIV infection if they are exposed to the virus through sexual contact. In addition, if an HIV-infected individual is also infected with another STD, that person is more likely to transmit HIV through sexual contact than other HIV-infected persons.” Regular STD testing for other, more widespread infections can therefore reduce the risk of contracting HIV for all sexually active individuals.

Any sexually active adults should get an HIV test annually. Those with higher risk factors should be tested more frequently.

HIV Symptoms in Men

Of the various STDs in men, HIV is one of the most feared.  Since HIV can weaken the immune system to the point where it ceases to function, many agree that it's important to recognize the symptoms of HIV in men in order to administer treatment early on.

Early HIV Symptoms in Men

• Mild fever
• Malaise
• Body aches
• Fatigue
• Headache
• Swollen lympnodes
• HIV rash

HIV Symptoms in Men Not Always Present

However, symptoms of HIV in men are often not present or recognizable in the disease's early stages. For some, symptoms of HIV in men can take years to manifest. In other instances, symptoms of HIV in men can surface within just two to four weeks following infection with brief flu-like symptoms.

HIV Rash

Additionally, an HIV rash may appear at this time. Since HIV causes the immune system on a whole to grow weaker, the symptoms of HIV in men will often manifest in the form of skin problems. Diagnosing HIV rash, however, is rarely a simple matter of examining the skin and making the call. HIV rash can appear in different forms and at various stages of the disease's progression. In some men, HIV rash will appear red and scaly; in others, HIV rash may appear in the form of white or flesh-colored bumps on the skin.

Like many of the other early symptoms of HIV in men, HIV rash typically lasts for about two weeks, and may or may not go away without treatment. As the disease progresses, HIV rash can reappear in the form of several common skin-related conditions. In fact, the name "HIV rash" is a bit of a misnomer, because in many instances, those infected with HIV will end up contracting other known conditions impacting the skin, such as shingles or psoriasis.

HIV Testing Provides Answers

It is important to note that relying on symptoms of HIV in men is not an effective way to diagnose HIV. Even some of the later-stage symptoms of HIV in men, including rapid weight loss, extreme fatigue, night sweats, and recurring fever, are not unquestionable indicators of the disease's presence. While recognizing the symptoms of HIV in men can be helpful, the only way to confirm a diagnosis is to administer proper HIV testing. After all, the symptoms of HIV in men often mimic those of other diseases, so rather than speculate and wonder, those at risk for infection would be wise to seek HIV testing for answers.

When it comes to being sexually active, for some people, there’s nothing more frightening than the notion of contracting an unwanted STD. And of all the various infections out there, nothing throws people for an emotional loop like the fear of being diagnosed with HIV.

Though advancements in medicine have turned HIV into less of a death sentence and more of a chronic yet manageable condition, the long-term life expectancy among those infected is yet to be determined. Still, while there is currently no cure for HIV, the use of anti-retroviral drugs can work to halt the progression of the virus and prevent the development of AIDS in its full-blown, merciless state.

Of course, the thing about HIV treatment is that those infected need to actually take the proper medication in order to improve their long-term prognoses—which can be a challenge in the absence of an actual diagnosis. Since early HIV treatment is a pivotal step in stopping the disease in its tracks, those at risk for infection must understand the importance of getting tested as soon as they come to believe that the potential is there.

Why don’t more people get tested early for HIV? For starters, when it comes to learning the truth about one’s sexual health, fear can be a rather powerful impediment. Rather than face the notion of infection and the lifelong consequences that come along with it, many would rather put off the inevitable and hide behind the illusion that all is well.

For others, however, the delay in HIV testing is less so a matter of avoidance and more so a matter of unadulterated ignorance. Contrary to what many believe, HIV, particularly in its early stages, doesn’t always come with recognizable symptoms. Though the disease is likely to take a noticeable toll on the body as it progresses, plenty of people are able to walk around for months or even years with no indication that a problem actually exists.

Even when HIV symptoms such as fever, sore throat, and fatigue do arise, they tend to mimic the effects of the common cold or the flu—ailments for which the average individual is less than likely to seek treatment. This is precisely why early HIV testing is crucial for those whose activities put them at risk for infection. Rather than take comfort in the absence of life-altering symptoms, those with the potential to contract HIV should take it upon themselves to get tested and get answers. Because no matter how far medical science has come, without proper treatment, HIV can all too quickly take a devastating turn for the worse.