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 Lerato,
Please see question 5 here:
http://i-base.info/qa/what-are-the-most-asked-questions
I went for hiv test and i tested positive and my partner tested nagative, what are his chances of him being negative or positive, please help iam stressed that i might have infected him unwillingly
Hi Donovan,
If you are worried that you may have been infected with HIV, you will need to test. Please see question one here:
http://i-base.info/qa/what-are-the-most-asked-questions
I sleep with an HIV person and I have’t tested, places help me
Hi Thabi, thanks for your comment and sorry for not replying immediately.
Are you still going okay or are you still having trouble? Did the clinic give you your CD4 test result. If yes, what is it? If no, please ask the clinic for this.
The CD4 result is an important was to know how much HIV has affected your immune system. If the count is above 350, or even above 200, then your immune system is still very good. If it is below 200, and especially if it is below 50, then the first few months of treatment might be more difficult. This is because other infections might all be causing problems. HIV treatment – called ART – is really important for your long-term health. Although things are difficult now, they should get easier.
As well as your CD4 count, it would be good to know the names of the medicines you are now taking.
Hi on February this year I tested positive. then I go to clinic they said I must take ARV. it’s being two months now taking ARVs. I was sick but when I go to clinic they said its the side effects and they change the pill, but I m still sick. I have the red spots all over my body they said its allergy but i never get sick before. I ask for another test they said the test said I m positive there is need to take another one when I come to clinic they give me ARV and the date only. They don’t even explain what going on about viral load or cd4 plz help, Im dying.
Hi Mosa, was your positive test result confirmed by a second HIV test at a laboratory? If not, this is important. If the result is confirmed as positive, then you have just been very unlucky by catching HIV from only one risk. Everyone who becomes positive catches HIV from one time though, but HIV uis usually difficult to catch. This doesn’t sound fair but it is better to try to look forwards and get strength from this. Do you have other people to talk to who can support you at this time?
I slept with a man and he broke my virginity and now i got tested and the results came back positive.he was the first and only man i slept with.i struggle on accepting my status.i am hurt,angry,devastated and full of revenge towards my infector.i find my situation a bit unfair
Hi Swiss,
As your wife is positive, it is important that she starts treatment. It is being on treatment that will help control her HIV. Being on treatment will also reduce the risk of transmission to close to zero. She will need support.
Today we went for an HIV test with my wife . Unfortunately her results came positive … Please help ..