HIV and the mouth

January 2007     View PDF     En español

Oral conditions of HIV disease

It’s estimated that 90% of people with HIV will develop at least one oral condition related to HIV disease. These conditions, like candidiasis and hairy leukoplakia, may be the first sign of immune suppression linked to HIV infection and in many people are the first signals that lead doctors to encourage HIV testing. Most show up as lesions or sores and can be categorized into four types: abnormal cell growth, bacterial, viral and fungal.

The most common oral conditions of HIV infection are discussed below, but many others exist. In fact, at least 40 conditions have been recorded, so it’s important to pay attention to changes in your oral health.