Is it a cold or HIV? How to tell the difference

Yes. Many people get a short illness a bit like flu around 2 to 6 weeks after getting HIV. This is called seroconversion illness, and it usually lasts 1 to 2 weeks.

The symptoms, such as a high temperature, a sore throat and tiredness, are common to many other illnesses, including colds, flu and COVID-19. And not everyone gets symptoms when they first get HIV. So you can’t tell whether you have HIV from how you feel. If you’ve had a possible risk, an HIV test is the only way to know.

More than 6 in 10 people get one or more symptoms in the first few weeks after getting HIV. The most common are:

• a high temperature of 38C or above
• a sore throat
• swollen glands
• a red rash over the body that usually isn’t itchy
• tiredness
• aching muscles or joints

Some people also get mouth ulcers, a headache, night sweats or an upset stomach. Read more in “What are the symptoms of seroconversion?”

If you get symptoms, they usually start 2 to 6 weeks after infection and last 1 to 2 weeks, sometimes up to 3.

After that, HIV can cause no symptoms for many years while it slowly damages your immune system. This is why many people with HIV don’t know they have it.

A cold usually comes on gradually over 2 to 3 days. The main symptoms are:

• a blocked or runny nose
• sneezing
• a sore throat
• a hoarse voice
• a cough
• feeling tired and unwell

Most people start to feel better in 1 to 2 weeks.

A blocked or runny nose isn’t usually a symptom of HIV, so it points more towards a cold. A rash and mouth ulcers aren’t typical of a cold, but they can be signs of early HIV. A sore throat, a temperature, swollen glands and tiredness are common to both, and you can have a cold and HIV at the same time.

So if you have cold or flu-like symptoms a few weeks after sex without a condom, or after sharing needles, don’t rely on your symptoms. Get an HIV test. Read more in “Flu symptoms vs. STI symptoms: can you tell which is which?”

HIV can’t be cured, but it can be treated with daily antiretroviral medicine. UK guidelines recommend starting treatment as soon as possible after diagnosis, and with the right treatment most people with HIV don’t go on to develop AIDS.

Once treatment has brought the virus down to an undetectable level, which can take up to about 6 months, HIV can’t be passed on to sexual partners as long as you keep taking treatment and it stays undetectable.

Without treatment, HIV slowly damages the immune system and can lead to serious illnesses. This is known as advanced HIV, late-stage HIV or AIDS.

In England, 2,773 people were newly diagnosed with HIV in 2024, and 42% of adults were diagnosed late, after the virus had already started to damage their immune system. The UK Health Security Agency estimates that around 6,000 adults in England were living with HIV without knowing it in 2024.

You can take an HIV test at any time, but it needs time to give a reliable result:

• A fourth-generation lab blood test, including a finger-prick sample you post back, is reliable from 45 days after a possible risk.
• A rapid test or self-test that gives an instant result is reliable from 90 days.
• Some tests can pick up HIV from about 10 days, but a negative result that early doesn’t rule HIV out, so you’ll need a follow-up test.

If you test earlier and the result is negative, test again once this time has passed.

If you think you were exposed to HIV in the last 72 hours, get urgent medical care straight away and ask about PEP (post-exposure prophylaxis), a medicine that can stop you getting HIV. The sooner you start it, the better, ideally within 24 hours.

Better2Know offers:

• HIV 4th Generation: a blood test for HIV, from 28 days, with results in 1 day. UK guidance gives a window period of 45 days for this type of test, so if you test before then and the result is negative, you’ll need a repeat test. You can book it at one of our clinics or order an HIV home test kit.
• Early Detection Screen: tests for HIV, Hepatitis B and Hepatitis C from 10 days after a possible risk, with results in 3 days. A negative HIV result at this stage needs a follow-up test at 45 days, and you may need repeat tests for Hepatitis B and C.
• Full Screen: tests for 7 infections, including HIV, Syphilis, Chlamydia and Gonorrhoea, from 28 days, with results in 3 days.

Not sure which test you need? Our Patient Care Team is available 24/7 on 020 7099 0955.

Can you have HIV without any symptoms?

Yes. Some people don’t get any symptoms when they first get HIV, and after the early stage HIV can cause no symptoms for years. Testing is the only way to know.

Does a runny nose mean it isn’t HIV?

A blocked or runny nose isn’t usually a symptom of HIV, so it is more likely to be a cold. But it doesn’t rule HIV out, because you can have both at the same time. If you’ve had a possible risk, get tested.

How soon can an HIV test detect HIV?

A fourth-generation lab test gives a reliable result from 45 days after a possible risk, and a rapid or self-test from 90 days. Some tests can pick up HIV from about 10 days, but you’ll need a follow-up test to be sure.

Early HIV can feel a lot like a cold or flu, and some people have no symptoms at all. A blocked or runny nose points to a cold, but you can’t rule out HIV from symptoms alone.

If you’ve had sex without a condom or shared needles, get tested. Book an HIV 4th Generation test at a clinic near you or order a home test kit. Our Patient Care Team is available 24/7 on 020 7099 0955.

Not in the UK? Choose your country from the selector at the top of the page for local tests and prices.

This article originally appeared on 24 June 2022 and was last updated on 29 September 2026.

This article is general information and not a substitute for personal medical advice.

Sources

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15. British Association for Sexual Health and HIV and British HIV Association, UK guideline for the use of HIV post-exposure prophylaxis, 2021, amended 2023. https://bhiva.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/PEP-guidelines.pdf
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