Question
My ex is negative, could I have got HIV from him?
7 March 2011. Related: All topics, HIV transmission, Newly diagnosed.
I have recently tested HIV positive. I have been living with this guy for 2 years now and we have been having sex without a condom but he tested HIV negative. Who is the carrier then? How is it possible that he is negative and I am positive? He even left the relationship because he is negative and I am positive.
Answer
Thank you for your question.
I am sorry to hear that your relationship is over and of your recent diagnosis. This must be a very difficult time for you.
We tend not to use the term ‘carrier’ when talking about HIV positive people as it has some stigmatising associations. If your ex-boyfriend is HIV negative then you would not have got HIV from him. It is possible you could have had HIV for a long time and not known about it. For more information about how HIV is transmitted please follow this link.
It is possible that some people are frequently exposed to HV but remain negative. For a full explanation of why this happens please follow this link to a similar question.
If you need more support to deal with your recent diagnosis then it might help to read these pages written by people who have been through the same thing.
If you have any other questions please contact us again. Best wishes.