Question
How can my partner test HIV positive and I test HIV negative?
16 January 2018. Related: All topics, HIV testing, HIV transmission, Newly diagnosed, Sero different couples.
I went to test HIV with my partner.
I found out that she is positive and I was negative. After six months i went back I tested negative.
Please help as I don’t understand.
Answer
Thanks for your question as your situation is very common.
Has your partner’s positive HIV test been checked by a second test in a lab. All rapid tests, need a positive result to be confirmed. This is because of the small chance of a false-positive result.
If the second test (called “western blot”) is positive then your partner is definitely positive. In this case, how is your partner doing and does she have support?
Even if your partner is HIV positive, it is common for one person in a couple to test positive and the other negative. This can happen even if they have bot been using condoms. This is mostly just luck. Over time, most people will catch HIV if they continue to have sex without a condom.
Even though you have not caught HIV so far, you can still catch HIV in the future. Genetics may explain some cases of protection, but most are just down to luck and chance.
Now you know your partners HIV status, you can still stay together and have sex safely. Condoms or PrEP are both really effective at stopping HIV and not sharing needles.
Also, after your partner gets an undetectable viral load on treatment, the risk drops to zero – even without condoms. The PARTNER study reported no transmission with an undetectable viral load. this was after about 900 couple had sex 58,000 without condoms (over several years).
Note: This answer was updated in January 2018 and October 2014 from a question from June 2011. i-Base no longer answers individual questions about HIV transmission and risk. (See: Question 1, 5, 6 and 9 at this link).
Mutual masterbation is not a risk for HIV.
It is possible because HIV is not transmitted every time you have sex. On this occasion your partner must have just been lucky. There is always the chance that HIV can be transmitted each time though, so it is important to protect your partner in the future. Women are especially vulnerable to HIV during pregnancy so if you are still sleeping together it is essential to use condoms throughout the pregnancy. This is for both your partner and the baby.
I’m sorry that your results show you are HIV-positive. Usually after getting a confirmed positive result a testing centre should refer you to a hospital or clinic for follow up care. This will involve having a few more blood tests that will tell you and your doctors about your current health. One of the most important tsts is called a CD4 count. This is used with other factors to decide whether and when you need HIV treatment.
Some people can go many years without treatment as HIV is generally a slow illness, but sometimes treatment is needed earlier.
When you do come to use treatment is is effective and should mean you can still think of having a long and active life.
You will also need support though. Do you know anyone else who is HIV-positive. You could ask the testing clinic for details of your nearest support groups. It is rough doing this alone and wherever you live there will be many people who have been in a similar position.
See also the information at this link:
http://i-base.info/home/if-you-have-just-found-out-you-are-hiv-positive/
hello i hv tested hiv+ this yr 2011 july n had sex in may bt was negative last 2010 yr in june n sept . i have done this yr 2011july 3 times of tests all say postive wat do i have 2 do now plz help
can a woman be pregnant with your baby and tested negative and while you are positive? it is possible?
i think that i m at the risk for having hiv as i went to a woman who I paid to have sex with me in march 2011 i did not have sex with her but she gave me a hand job in may end i went for tri dot test which was -ve then in june went for western blot test which was -ve and in july i went for tri dot again which is -ve i m scared please help
As the answer explains above, this is very common. So far you have probably just been lucky.
Condoms stop HIV transmission and many other STI’s.
If the condom stayed in place and didn’t break the risk of HIV transmission is zero.
I had protective sex with a female that I recently found out she was HIV+ when we had protective condom sex. What are my chances of being infected and what are the stats of female to male safe sex (condom) HIV transmission?
I tested negative and my partner is positive. How is that possible that I am negative.