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).
Hi Tumi, this shows how HIV is not always and easy infection to transmit. You have just been lucky. Now your partner is on treatment the risk is close to zero. See questions 5 and 9 at this link:
https://i-base.info/qa/what-are-the-most-asked-questions
I have been with my partner for 2yrz now. In haven’t used a protection with him when we’re having sex ever since I met him. I fell pregnant last year and I got tested regularly while I was pregnant. So no last year in August my partner went to get tested for HIV and they came back positive it came as a shock because I was pregnant then and I still tested negative. I gave birth in October and I still tested negative even after the birth of my baby girl. She’s also HIV negative. Today she’s a year old and I’m still with her father and my tests results still come back negative while my bf of 2yrz is still tests positive and he’s already on ARV’s… Its really confusing. How is it possible?
Hi Jamie, the only way you can know your status is to take an HIV test. If you haven;t been using condoms it might be good to have a general sexual health check at the same time. Please qee question 1 at this link:
https://i-base.info/qa/what-are-the-most-asked-questions
hello am going to share my story have been have unprotected sex with women in street before 9 years ago never have tested I don’t have any other problem such puke or cough or lose weight or anything like that but am still worry about HIV and I had take HIV test today and am very afraid that might have long time ago and is too late fore me to get medication therefore had take scanner for my full body I check my heart Liver lung and kidney doctor said am very good is this should made me little positive about the test only had one sex in my life
Hi Mpho, I am sorry that we can’t interpret test results but please have a loot at question 1 at this lnk – which has links to more information online:
https://i-base.info/qa/what-are-the-most-asked-questions
last time I went for a test on the first test I found that I am positive and the lines were clearly seen I tried the second test then I found that I am positive but the other line was not clear so what does that mean?
Hi Lucas, a confirmation laboratory test always needs to be done. If this wasn’t done, it is important to ask for it now.
Is it possibl to test negative when already on arv’s? For a person diagnosed positive for a year now,and also claiming that no comfirmation lab tests done?
Hi Cholo, if you have had this result confirmed by a second HIV test at a laboratory, then you have just been unlucky from this one experience. Although it is difficult to catch HIV, it only takes one time for anyone who becomes positive. If the first HIV test has not been confirmed yet, there is a chance the first result might be a test error. Please talk to your doctor about this.
I once slept once with a man without using condom n I was on mi periods so I tested positive, can I really b positive?