More persistent or severe symptoms of HIV may not appear for 10 years or more after HIV first enters the body in adults, or for 2 years in children born with HIV infection. This period of "asymptomatic" infection (without HIV symptoms) varies greatly in each individual. Some people may begin to have symptoms within a few months, while others may be symptom-free for more than 10 years.
Even during the asymptomatic period, the virus is actively multiplying, infecting, and killing cells of the immune system. The virus can also hide within infected cells and lie dormant. The most obvious effect of HIV infection is a decline in the number of CD4+ T cells found in the blood. These are the immune system's key infection fighters. The virus slowly disables or destroys these cells without causing symptoms.
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