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 Masego,
The only way to know if your first child is HIV positive or not is to have them tested. Because you weren’t on treatment when you had them, this is very important. If you are worried about having them tested, you could go with a friend, or your child’s father.
Because you’re pregnant its important that you don’t stop taking tribuss. This is because tribuss will reduce the risk of transmission. It will also help your HIV. Also, when you’ve had you’re baby, its for the best if you stay on medication. For more info about HIV and pregnancy please see here:
http://i-base.info/guides/pregnancy
Its very possible that one person is negative, whilst another is positive. Please see Q5 here:
http://i-base.info/qa/what-are-the-most-asked-questions
As to how you became infected, I can’t say. Have you had sex with anyone else? Have you injected drugs, or had a blood transfusion. Is there a potability that you may have been born with it?
Hi I’m 23 years old, I’ve been in a relationship with my boyfriend for 12 years. In 2011 I was pregnant with my first born and I was told that I was HIV positive. I didn’t take any treatment. Is my child OK?
I’m pregnant again, with the same man. He’s negative. I’m on treatment called tribuss…how come am positive and he is negative? and can I stop taking the pills?
Hi Mpho,
Please see Q1 here:
http://i-base.info/qa/what-are-the-most-asked-questions
on the 8 February I and my partner went to do HIV test at our local clinic, we got that I guy tested negative and she tested positive. what I’m worried about is my status since I slept with her, is possible that I’m also HIV positive ???
Hi Rohan,
If you partner thinks they may have been at risk, they should test. For more on testing please see Q1 here:
http://i-base.info/qa/what-are-the-most-asked-questions
I went for a HIV 1&2 test and the result was Non- Reactive with Index Value 0.08 which means i am HIV negative. Does my partner with whom i got physical, also needs to go through the same tests even after my HIV test results were negative ?
Rohan
Hi Modester,
The basic answer is no. HIV tests can detect if someone is positive regardless of their blood group. There is no difference.
Is it true that a persons blood group can hide their HIV, especially O?
Hi Lerato,
Firstly, once a person becomes HIV positive they will always be positive. This is unless they find a cure.
If you’re on treatment, this will explain why your partners are negative. This is because the risk of transmission when you’re on treatment and undetectable is close to zero. Please see the results of the PARTNER study for more info:
http://i-base.info/qa-on-the-partner-study/
If you aren’t on treatment, please see question 5 here:
http://i-base.info/qa/what-are-the-most-asked-questions
For over the past 5 years I have been HIV positive, I tested and found out that I was still positive the next year’s. I was in a relationship with a guy when I got tested and we used to sleep without protection and he tested negative, a year later I met another guy and he forced to sleep with me even after I told him that I was positive and he went and tested negative after a year. Now we have been sleeping together without protection for more than three years and I am still positive while my partner is negative. Please assist about how does it happen that for me to remain positive over the years while the two people I have slept with are negative even after 5 years