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).
Hi Vaino
The answer above tries to explain this. Many couple find one person tests positive and the other tests negative. It can seem confusing and unfair.
Luckily, HIV treatment is very effective. This should mean that your partner can still have a long and acitive life, including having a family if this was part of your plans.
You both will need support – and to support each other – to come to terms with this.
i live with my partiner almost five years both of us we went for test, she was tested hiv positive and i was tested negative when went back after two months it was the same. Than im not understanding this at all?
Hi Thengizwe
An undetectable viral load dramatically reduces the chance of HIV being transmitted.
It may still be possible to catch HIV but the risk is much lower than if your partner was not on treatment.
The PARTNER study is looking at this and no linked transmissions have been reported so far.
http://i-base.info/htb/24904
What if your patner is positive but her viral load is undetected and you have bin having unprotected sex. How possible is it that you test negative?
Hi Crisphina
I don’t know what you mean by “routine drugs” and “main drugs”.
All HIV drugs are active against the virus.
Unfortunately i-Base do not run a contact service for people to meet each other.
My viral load is 856 for over 3years I tested +, I am still on routine drugs, when will I start d main + drugs… Again Hw can I get a + man for marriage course am of age nw,am about 25+. I cannot change d situation’so I have no option than to accept it…
Hi,
I’m sorry to hear about your wife’s recent diagnosis, how is she coping since finding out she is HIV positive? Has she started treatment?
For information about your risks of testing positive please see our guide to HIV testing and sexual transmission.
Me and my wife we have been together for almost five years now, and we have been blessed with a very beutifull daughter , but on 11december 2013 we went for a routine check as she is pregnant again for about seven month and she tested positive and I was negative and we never used protection , so what are my chances of being HIV+ after I repeat the test in three month time?
Hi Matokelo,
As the question above tries to explain, HIV isn’t transmitted every time somebody HIV positive has ‘unprotected’ sex with an HIV negative person. There are lots of things that can make it more or less likely that HIV is transmitted- such as if your husband is on HIV treatment, what his viral load is, and if either of you have any sexually transmitted infections. Our FAQs from couples in this situation answers some questions on this point. Please look there, and then let me know if you still have questions.
my husband is hiv positive and i am negative, i still do not understand because we were not using protection.