Question

Can I have been HIV-positive since 1996 and not known it?

15 November 2010. Related: All topics, HIV testing, HIV transmission, Living with HIV long-term, Pregnancy.

When I was pregnant my doctor told me I had HIV symptoms, this was 1996. She told me to get tested but I never did.

Is it possible to live all these years without medication if I had HIV?

If I have symptoms of HIV, does it mean that I have it?

Answer

Answer: Simon Collins

Although many symptoms can be related to HIV, you can only know this by having an HIV test.

This is especially important during pregnancy, so that treatment can be used to reduce the risk of HIV being transmitted to the baby.

A few people manage to go for more than 15 years without using HIV treatment or becoming ill.

If you have been worrying about HIV all this time, then an HIV test is an easy way to know for certain. If your symptoms were related to HIV in 1996 though, it is very likely that other illnesses would have occurred over this time.

If you are HIV-positive, then your children should also be tested for their own health.