Question

How can my partner test HIV positive and I test HIV negative?

16 January 2018. Related: All topics, HIV testing, HIV transmission, Newly diagnosed, Sero different couples.

I went to test HIV with my partner.

I found out that she is positive and I was negative. After six months i went back I tested negative.

Please help as I don’t understand.

Answer

Thanks for your question as your situation is very common.

Has your partner’s positive HIV test been checked by a second test in a lab. All rapid tests, need a positive result to be confirmed. This is because of the small chance of a false-positive result.

If the second test (called “western blot”) is positive then your partner is definitely positive. In this case, how is your partner doing and does she have support?

Even if your partner is HIV positive, it is common for one person in a couple to test positive and the other negative. This can happen even if they have bot been using condoms. This is mostly just luck. Over time, most people will catch HIV if they continue to have sex without a condom.

Even though you have not caught HIV so far, you can still catch HIV in the future. Genetics may explain some cases of protection, but most are just down to luck and chance.

Now you know your partners HIV status, you can still stay together and have sex safely. Condoms or PrEP are both really effective at stopping HIV and not sharing needles.

Also, after your partner gets an undetectable viral load on treatment, the risk drops to zero – even without condoms. The PARTNER study reported no transmission with an undetectable viral load. this was after about 900 couple had sex 58,000 without condoms (over several years).

Note: This answer was updated in January 2018 and October 2014 from a question from June 2011. i-Base no longer answers individual questions about HIV transmission and risk. (See: Question 1, 5, 6 and 9 at this link).

335 comments

Lisa Thorley • 18 July 2017

Hi Sam,

Pleases see Q1 here:

https://i-base.info/qa/what-are-the-most-asked-questions
Sam • 18 July 2017

Hallo . I do test hiv 1&2 after 1 years from last sex relation and the result is negative, it’s enough time ? And the 2nd question the result take only 3 hours in laboratory is that enough ? Thanks
Lisa Thorley • 15 July 2017

Hi Leo,

Please see Q’s 1, 5 and 9 here:

https://i-base.info/qa/what-are-the-most-asked-questions
Leo • 15 July 2017

I’m married my hubby his HIV postive and we have baby when ever i do test is negative is that normal is over 5yers now and the baby also she’s nective
Lisa Thorley • 4 July 2017

Hi HIV test in Thailand.

Please see Q5 here:

https://i-base.info/qa/what-are-the-most-asked-questions
hiv test in thailand • 4 July 2017

I’m negative, my girlfriend is positive, why aren’t I positive?
Lisa Thorley • 3 July 2017

Hi Jhonson,

Please see Q’s 5 and 9 here:

https://i-base.info/qa/what-are-the-most-asked-questions
Jhonson • 3 July 2017

I’m negative, my girlfriend is positive, why aren’t I positive?
Lisa Thorley • 28 June 2017

Hi Nokuthula,

If your partner is on meds and has an undetectable viral load the risk of transmission to you will be close to zero. Please see here for more info:

https://i-base.info/qa-on-the-partner-study/

What this means is that you can choose to have sex without condoms and try for a baby naturally.
Nokuthula • 28 June 2017

Hi my partner are hiv positive and I’m hiv negative we are need to make a baby. What chances of keep my status negative and baby negative? please help me I’m confused