Q and A

Question

My partner tested HIV positive, am I positive too?

I have been with someone for 5 years. We have a baby who is 2 yrs old now.

My partner got sick and ended up in the hospital. A week later the health department called. He went in and they told him he was HIV positive.

I however show no signs or symptoms and neither does my baby. I tested negative when I was pregnant. I therefore had no reason to think this was the cause of his sickness.

Can I possibly be HIV positive?

Answer

I am sorry about your partner’s diagnosis. Is he in touch with support groups of people living with HIV? Many find it helpful to share experiences and coping strategies.

In response to your question, there are many couples where one partner is  positive and the other negative. This can happen even if they are having unprotected sex. There are a number of reasons for this  and one of them  could be down to luck. However, the risk of transmission is also dramatically reduced if the positive partner is on treatment. Is your partner on treatment?

As it is not clear from your question at to whether your partner tested positive before or after you had the baby, I cannot say whether you are likely to be positive or not. Not having symptoms  is not a good way of determining your HIV status. The best way to confirm this is by having an HIV test. I can appreciate this will not be easy, however, it is the only way you can find out for sure.

Good luck.

With best wishes.

2 comments

  1. Simon Collins

    Because test was negative, you are likely to be HIV negative on the second test. You would only be positive if your infection occurred in the last few months, and as your relationship has been five year, this would be unlucky.

    HIV is just a virus that you have been lucky not to have caught. God has nothing to do with this and neither does prayer or panicking.

    Your parter is having to deal with a much more real situation of learning that he is HIV. And this is not the end of the world, but a complication, all be it one that he probably wouldn’t have chosen.

    If your partner has questions about treatment and HIV, please let him have the contact details for this website.

  2. kelly

    My boyfriend of 5 yrs jst found out he’s HIV positive on Feb 10. I took a test two days later and my test came back negative. I am so scared, and I hope that my next test in May come back negative. It’s driving me crazy. No matter what I’m doing I stop to say a prayer, and ask God to not let my test come back positive. I don’t think I would be able to cope with being HIV positive. What is the likelihood that I my test could come back positive

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