Question
Why is my husband HIV negative when I am pregnant and HIV positive?
23 January 2018. Related: All topics, Newly diagnosed, Pregnancy, Sero different couples, Starting treatment.
Hi , I am 36, married, and pregnant and have just found out that I am HIV positive, with CD4 of 239.
My question is I never get sick or have any symptoms that I am infected, so now I am worried that I maybe too late to start treatment, because they told me that I need to start when my CD4 count is about 350.
My mind still adjusting to the news cos its only weeks find out I am positive but I have the reason to live that is why I accept that life goes on, its the matter of changing lifestyle and live good healthy life style.
My other worry is that my husband tested 6 months ago and he said he tested negative, checking from that time do you think he lied to me about his result because now I six month pregnant and positive. Is it possible to check when I became HIV positive?
Answer
Thank you for your question.
As you asked a number of questions, I will respond to them one at a time.
Firstly, congratulations on your pregnancy.
Although it might be difficult to learn you are HIV positive, it is much better that you found out now. Earlier is always better both for your health and for your baby. You are also right in taking a positive attitude about your life.
Even though your CD4 count is less than 350, you will still get a good response to HIV treatment (ART). The meds will help get you CD4 count become higher again and will protect the baby from HIV. The meds will also protect your husband from HIV in the future. Also, since 2015, ART is recommended for everyone, even at CD4 counts above 500.
Starting ART is important, so that your viral load can become undetectable when your baby is due to be born. This is because having an undetectable viral load is the best way for your baby to be HIV negative.
This guide to HIV and pregnancy has lots more information.
If your husband was HIV positive 6 months ago, it might be good for him to test again now. There is a small chance that he might have recently become HIV positive but that the test didn’t work. He might also really be HIV negative and has just continued to be lucky.
There are many couples were one partner is HIV positive, and the other is HIV negative, even when they haven’t been using condoms. Please follow this link for more information on such cases.
More information on sero-different couples (where one partner is HIV positive and the other is negative) is at this link. The answers to Q 5, 6 and 9 at this link might also help:
https://i-base.info/qa/what-are-the-most-asked-questions
Good luck with the rest of your pregnancy and please let us know if we can help further or again in the future.
Note: This answer was updated in January 2018 and July 2016 from a question first posted online in November 2011.
Dear Philemon, thanks for posting and for the concern you have for your fiance. Although finding out about HIV might feel difficult, there is nothing to stop you both getting married and doing everything you planned before. Please take a little time to learn about HIV meds – called ART. They mean that your fiance can still lead a normal active life, they can protect you against HIV too – and also mean that if you want to have a family, yoour children will not have HIV either.
Please see Q’s 2, 5, 6, 9, 10 amd 11 here:
https://i-base.info/qa/most-asked-questions
Please also talk through everything through with your fiance – you will be learning about this together – aand will be supporting each other too :)
Good day my name is my fiance just confirmed being positive I just went for my test and I’m negative and love her so much and I wanted marrying her what can do now
Hi Samuel, please see here: https://i-base.info/qa/factsheets/hiv-transmission-and-testing
I had sex with an HIV positive person for some hours more than 3 times and later found out she is positive and for some weeks now I feel wheezling as if i will fall down, I feel headache, I feel tired, I have stomach dhiarea like am still negative but am worried
Hi KDP, what type of test are you using?
Hi! I have done series of HIV test as part of my employment and results come out reactive but eventually confirmatory said otherwise.
Why is it like that? It always give me stress to have a HIV test since i had issue before with the results. By the way, my husband is HIV negative. I’ve never been engaged to have sex with others except my husband, he is my first. Never also had a needle stick injury nor received blood transfusion. That’s why i dont know why my test keeps showing Reactive?
Hi Ibrahim, yes you can marry a woman who is HIV positive. Someones HIV status should not impact their ability to marry.
While your partner is on medication it is likely they are undetectable. This means they cannot pass on HIV via sex. Please see this for more information:https://i-base.info/u-equals-u/ This is likely contributed to why you are HIV negative. Transmission of HIV is not common. There are a number of factors that affect how it is transmitted. Transmission of HIV is discussed here: https://i-base.info/guides/testing/risks-for-transmission
There is no blood type that prevents transmission of HIV. Being O+ will not have changed your risk of transmission.
Good luck with your marriage.