###Human: Can HIV cause cold after sexual intercourse? ###Assistant: Hi. I have read your query. It is most likely that fever and cough are due to common cold. Please do warm saline gargles several times a day to reduce the throat inflammation. You can also take steam inhalations to get relief. If a cough is persisting you can take the antibiotic. Take tablet Azithromycin (500 mg) once a day for five days. If the symptoms persist, further tests may be needed. For the headache, you could get your eyes tested. Also, get your blood pressure checked.  You have asked for advice on HIV infection. HIV infection occurs in three stages. Stage 1: Occurs within 2 to 6 weeks of exposure. Symptoms include a headache, diarrhea, nausea, vomiting, rash, cough and cold. It lasts for a couple of weeks, then goes away. Stage 2: There are no symptoms during this stage. Stage 3: Full blown symtoms of HIV occur due to immunity being compromised. It is important to use a condom as it provides the best protection against sexually transmitted diseases. If you are suspecting HIV exposure, it is important to get one tested. ELISA test is the method used for screening. Rapid HIV tests are also available. These are only used for screening and should be follwed by western blot test which is confirmatorty. Sometimes, a false positive result occurs so it is important to get a repeat testing done. HIV virus takes 2 to 12 weeks to appear in blood so that it can be detected by the test. A person should get their partner tested too if the result comes as positive. Please consult a nearby doctor if symptoms persist.