Question
Can someone be HIV negative but an HIV “carrier”?
26 March 2010. Related: All topics.
Answer
No, people are either HIV positive or HIV negative. There is no such thing as a carrier – and the word is not relevant to HIV.
You cannot tell if anyone is HIV positive. The way to know if someone is HIV positive is if they tell you about their status and they have had conclusive evidence from an HIV test.
For more information on testing and transmission please follow this link to the i-Base factsheet.
i’ve had two sexual partners who are hiv positive for more than two yrs but i stil test negative am i a carrier?help,
Hi Bogani, I am sorry but I can be only help little. Your doctor needs to explain these results. The negative lab test (ELISA) is the important one. It sounds like your partner is negative but has had two false-positive results with the rapid tests. If the lab test is negative, the person does not have HIV.
Dear Simon
Me and my partner are kinda confused we’ve been having unprotected sex for over a year now then she started coughing a lot then decided to see the doctor and the doctor tested her and she was HIV when they used rapid testing but then they tested her using ELISA test and it was negative then her doctor used rapid test again she was negative. After a month I decided that we both go for HIV test she tested positive again and was negative with rapid test now they took our blood to the lab we confused.
Please read the answer to the main question above.
Can HIV negative person whose partner has been on ARVS for over 2 year act as a carrier
Hi Jeff, I cannot advise you what to do, but I can give information that might help your decisions, and in discussion with your doctor.
First, it is good that your partner is doing well on treatment. This is good for both her health and for reducing the risk that you could catch HIV.
In a study called PARTNER, there were no linked HIV transmissions after 44,500 times people had sex without a condom, so long as the positive partner had an undetectable viral load. The CD4 count is less important because the risk relates to viral load. Other studies have shown that for heterosexual sex the risk is still very low, even when viral load is detectable but less than 400 copies/mL.
This impact of treatment has also helped couples have children naturally where one partner is positive and the other is negative.
Please talk to your doctor about these issues, and good luck with whatever you decide.
good commentary, i am negative and my partner is positive, we have been having unprotected sex for close to two years now. I am still negative. Should i stop having unprotected sex with my partner? She is on ARVs since 2009, and very healthy, CD4 count almost undetectable. will i contact the virus, we also need a baby, advise me.
There is no such thing as a “carrier” – people are either HIV positive or HIV negative.
More importantly, you do not have the right to see another person’s medical records.
how can you get records of someone being a carrier with HIV
Hi Latty,
Are you on treatment? When somebody is on HIV treatment with an undetectable viral load the chances of passing HIV to a sexual parter are very low, close to zero. You can read about this here.
If you are not on treatment then there is still a risk of your partner being infected in the future and it might just be that he has been lucky so far. Please see our FAQs page about couples where one person is positive and the other negative for more info.