Did I Just Contract HIV? Symptoms of Primary HIV InfectionIt's sometimes possible to recognize when you've recently contracted HIV from signs and symptoms such as fever, rash, or swollen lymph nodes. This video will teach you how to recognize signs and symptoms of primary HIV infection that are experienced by between 40 and 90% of individuals after they are first infected with HIV. Primary HIV infection occurs during the first few weeks or months after a person first becomes infected with HIV. Symptoms include rash and/or fevers, possibly in combination with one or more of the following symptoms: malaise (which is a general feeling of weakness, discomfort, and fatigue), loss of appetite, weight loss, a sore throat, sores in the mouth, joint or muscle pain, swollen lymph nodes, diarrhea, fatigue, night sweats, nausea and vomiting, headache, or genital sores. The symptoms usually last from seven to ten days, and rarely more than two weeks. There is an incubation period of a few days to a few weeks between when the person was exposed to HIV and when the ...