Question
Why am I HIV negative if my boyfriend is HIV positive?
29 January 2018. Related: All topics, HIV transmission, Sero different couples.
My partner and I recently went for an HIV test and my results came negative while his came positive. This is very strange because in the 2 years that we have been together, we hardly ever use a condom?
How does this come about? are there other cases like mine? is this possible?
Answer
Hi, how are you doing? and how is your partner?
Your situation is very common and you have just been lucky. The risk of catching HIV is usually quite low, even if you don’t always use condoms. It also related to many things, including your partners viral load (ie how infections he or she is).
The risk is highest in the first few months after infection (1 in 10 or higher). After the first year when viral load is lower, this might only be 1 in 500.
Depending on the type of sex you have, and how often, with these number you see how it could just be luck. You could still catch HIV the next time you are at risk. You should also have another HIV test in 3 months, to check that you were not infected in the few months prior to your original test.
A small percentage of people (less than 1% in the UK), have genetic protection against HIV infection. There are no commercial tests that are able to check this.
While many people think (or hope) they have this protection, and that they will be lucky and not catch HIV if they don’t use a condom, in reality they are usually wrong. This is why numbers of new infections are still increasing each year.
Your partners diagnosis sounds like it was a shock for both of you. Take time to find good resources and support, both for your partner and yourself while you come to terms with what has happened. This affects people in all sorts of ways, but with good treatment and care, your partner can expect to lead a long life.
Also, once your partner has undetectable viral load in ART, they are no longer able to transmit HIV.
For more information on monitoring and treatment see the i-Base Introduction to ART. Please also tell your partner that i-Base run a free treatment phoneline if he would like to talk directly about his care.
This answer was updated in January 2018 from a question posted in October 2007.
I have had sex without using protection and my partner had hepatitis B. What is the likelihood I will get infected from this as I only had sex with him for 2 weeks. I went to do a blood test but my Dr. told me it is still early and so can’t not tell me yet if I am infected. However I have to go back and do a blood test again in 3 months time. I am very worried. How likely is it I would get an infection from him?
Thanks
It depends how long ago your friend was with your brother-in-law and the type of HIV test used. If it was longer than 3 months then your friend will be negative. Fourth generation (antibody plus antigen) tests used in the UK are able to show infection 3-4 weeks after exposure.
My brother-in-law has just came up positive with HIV and my best friend has been with him a few times before he knew. She got tested and her test came back negative. My question is even though her test today was negative can she be infected and it not have shown up in the test?
Thanks
If your boyfriend had a CD4 count of 29 it is quite possible he has had HIV for some time but it is difficult to say for how long. If your test has come back positive the most important thing is to focus on how you can first focus on your own health. This will bring up a lot of complicated and difficult issues. It may help to speak with either a health advisor or a counsellor at you clinic to help you work through these. Or call the i-Base phoneline if you would like to discuss this in confidence, or if you want more information about treatment. Mon-Wed 12-4pm. Good luck, Charlie
In Jan 2010 my boyfriend who is 60 years old was diagnosed with COPD his condition got worse in Feb and we had to admit him to the hospital, now he is in MICU I got the alarming news from the doctors that his T cell count is 19 and that I should get tested soon.
My boyfriend never agreed to get tested before because he was scared and instead I got tested for him and I assumed he was faithful to me but in June 2009 I found out that he had been to a bath house and when confronted he said he just went to check out the gym and did not have sex with anyone, I believed him.
I am 33 years I get tested from time to time, as far as I can remember I got tested in Jan 2008 and was HIV negative then in July 2009 and December 2009 I was HIV negative too, but yesterday the rapid test showed positive and now am waiting for my blood test for further confirmation.
Am confused how did this happened how did his T cell count show 19, does that mean he had HIV all this time?
If the 2007 sex was your last exposure to HIV and you had a negative test in 2008, then you are HIV-negative. Keep in mind, however, that every unprotected sexual contact can lead to an infection. The choice is yours, of course, but in certain settings and situation, HIV-infection can still be a life-threatening condition.
As for the many questions, we will be very happy to answer those. If you prefer a direct face-to-face counselling, you will have to let me know where you live, so that I can find the service nearest to you.
All the best!
Well,
No, if you are HIV-positive, then you have HIV. You will need to have routine monitoring tests to see how quickly or slowly it affects your immune system, but with HIV the term ‘carrier’ does not really get used much in HIV because it doesn’t really mean much, other than saying someone is HIV-positive.
All HIV-positive people, by definition, are carriers, All carriers of HIV, are HIV-positive.
This isn’t, for example, like hepatitis B for some people, where they can be infectious whilst also having controlled the virus,
There is research into people who may have evidence of local (ie genital) HIV exposure, and have local immune responses, without them ever testing HIV-positive. This is a specialised area though that is beyond my expertise.
This wouldn’t cover your situation as you have tested HIV-positive.
Your partner has just been lucky so far, and could still catch HIV in the future if you don’t use condoms.
Same happened to me. I’ve been with my boyfriend for 1 1/2 years and I tested positive, while he tested negative. The doc said I might just be a carrier.
I was in the same problem as you. I have been having sex with my wife for almost 18 months and always we did not use protection all the time. We found out that she was HIV-positive went she was pregnant in June 2007. I tested negative twice, once in November 2006 and again in June 2007.