hey...watch it with the evolution. there's no real proof for it. (excepting a few piltdown figurines - which i have knocked over. and, a few filed chimp teeth).
as i see it (returning to topic at hand) - if you are suspecting you have aids - it would still be good to get hiv test. but, as i read it - you can have antibodies to the hiv virus in your system after 6 months. so, that is how some people with aids test negative to hiv virus. some of the tests are more expensive than others - but really - testing for aids is a moot point and kind of like pregnancy test from what i read. after a while - you start getting infections that you cannot get rid of. for women this could be a variety of different ones than men. also, weight loss. and, general malaise and tiredness. also, night sweats for over a month. or swollen glands. skin infections and rashes.
i think it would be fairly obvious in the stages of aids (where doctors diagnose an infection that won't clear up - even after treatment - or keeps coming back) that the CD4 cells are infected and are not able to function.
to me, the sad thing about aids is that like some other diseases - it can be contageous (especially if the person doesn't know they have it). so, i think that one should not rely soley on tests. if you want to really play it safe - get to know a person past six months and even then - consider not only asking them if they think they have been exposed to it - but being realistic about the chances (if they are not telling you the truth) and considering celibacy until marriage. it's highly unlikely for a monogamous couple to get aids unless they've had previous partners or have an affair. honesty is always the best policy.
lung diseases are also one of the symptoms. and coughs that won't go away.