Question

Can someone be HIV negative but an HIV “carrier”?

26 March 2010. Related: All topics.

Answer

Answer: Charlotte Walker

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.

129 comments

  1. Lisa Thorley •

    Hi Bongani,

    We try not to use words like carrier. Instead we prefer, a person who is living with HIV.

  2. Bongani •

    Hi Lisa may I ask u something what’s an hiv carrier

  3. Bongani •

    Hi Lisa thnx 4 tht I guess I have stress anyways we’ll see wen tym go’s

  4. Lisa Thorley •

    Hi Bongani,

    That’s good news. And yes, its very possible.

  5. Bongani •

    yesterday and still I was negative I feel like it’s impossible.

  6. Lisa Thorley •

    Hi Bongani,

    When was the last time that you tested? As her CD4 is low, she will need some support.

  7. Bongani •

    She’s been on ARVs for maybe a week with a CD4 count of 200. I’m now having this thrush on my tongue and my hands are itchy and pale. Is anxiety causing all this?

  8. Lisa Thorley •

    Hi Bongani,

    If you are negative, then its impossible for you to have infected your partner. With regards to you testing negative even if you aren’t using condoms, this can happen. Its actaully rather hard to contract HIV. Its a case of bad luck. Is your partner now on ARVs? If she is, how long has seen been on them for?

  9. Bongani •

    Hi doc I have a slight problem I have a partner who’s hiv positive and we’ve been having unprotected sex I of which I didn’t know she was hiv til she had a bad cough in May and went to test and she was positive the main problem here is I’ve been testing negative since then. Till I heard a couple of people saying I could be a career and that I could’ve infected her so I’m worried ain’t you suppose to be positive to to infect someone else please help me.

  10. Simon Collins •

    Hi Wobomba, please see Q1 at this link:
    http://i-base.info/qa/what-are-the-most-asked-questions
    There is no such thing as a “carrier”. Someone is eithe positive of negative.

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