HIV is becoming a pandemic around the world. HIV stands for human immunodeficiency virus that has infected millions of people worldwide. There are many ways through which it is transmitted. This includes transplantation of infected blood into a healthy individual, use of infected needles and other medical instruments, transfer of infected body fluids into the body of a healthy individual, and the most common way is unprotected sex. HIV/AIDS does not spread through handshakes, sharing food, water, sitting or standing next to a HIV positive individual. There are many HIV symptoms in women, that includes skin rash. HIV Rash Disease in Women It has been found that 80% of women are infected with HIV/AIDS after a sexual encounter with a HIV positive man. Some women are infected with it due to use of infected needles for drugs. Women are at more risk of contracting HIV than men as most of the time they are unaware that their partners are infected. Also, vaginal and anal intercourse puts them at more risk of getting infected with the virus. Most of them are not aware of the early symptoms of HIV in women. They tend to find out about their condition rather late after their infected partner is diagnosed or severely sick due to an infection. Some women become aware of their positive status during pregnancy. Most of the early HIV symptoms resemble flu and are therefore not taken seriously. One of the late and acute symptoms of HIV in women is skin rash. Many women think of skin rashes as a side effect to certain medications or food consumed. However, if one observes other symptoms like loss of appetite, unexplained weight loss, diarrhea, joint pain, etc., along with skin rash, it may indicate HIV infection. With time the signs and symptoms of human immunodeficiency virus keep changing. One such late symptom is skin rash that erupts anywhere on the body. These symptoms in women are overlooked most of the time as they are thought of reaction to HIV medications. Signs The HIV rash signs in women are similar to those in men. It causes the skin to become scaly and dry. It appears like a bad case of psoriasis in some cases. The symptoms may appear within a few weeks of infection in some individuals and in most cases it is observed as a late symptom. The symptoms include genital sores or warts. Other than genital areas, these warts and skin rashes also appear on the skin, face, hands, and feet. These rashes have similar appearance as other skin diseases like hives or folliculitis. Many women form pimples and acne in different parts of the body. The characteristic of HIV rash symptoms in women is its color. This rash in HIV positive women is reddish-brown or brown in color. Dark skin individuals may develop dark brown or black color skin rash. This rash may or may not itch. One of the acute symptoms includes peeling of skin that forms sores and blisters in the genital area. Acute HIV rash is caused due to infection of herpes simplex, herpes zoster, and molluscum contagiosum. Many other signs are also observed in the affected women. These symptoms include fever, headaches, swollen lymph glands, fatigue, sore throat, muscle pain, mouth ulcers, oral thrush, and diarrhea. However, it is important to keep in mind that the rashes is not observed in every positive individual. It may appear in only few women who are HIV positive. Treatment Before one begins with the treatment, it is important to diagnose the condition as a HIV symptom. There can be various other causes that leads to skin rash. This rash in women lasts for about 1 to 2 weeks at the most. There is no cure for HIV till date and therefore the only option is to control the symptoms. The doctor may advice over-the-counter medications and ointments that help sooth the rashes and reduce the itchiness. One should stay away from direct sunlight and heat as it may aggravate the rash. Also, safe sex is a precautionary measure that will help prevent high risk people from developing this medical condition. It is very important to know about its various signs and symptoms to keep the disease in check. For any further doubts regarding the same, it is better to speak to the doctor for detailed information. Disclaimer: This Buzzle article is for informative purposes only, and should not be used as a replacement for expert medical advice.