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 2016Â from a question first posted online in November 2011.
If your wife is pregnant for 9 month and she tested negative , does that means the husband is negative too ?
Hi Kelvin,
It sounds like you need to have a conversation with your wife. Give her time to explain why she chose not to tell you about her status, (Fears of rejection and stigma may be the cause).
The first thing to you to do is to find out if she’s on medication. If she’s taking medication (which she should be as she’s been pregnant and she’s been breastfeeding) then there’s NO risk to you at all. Please see here: http://i-base.info/u-equals-u/
With regards to the children, they’ll have been tested several times, the fact that their tests say no detected is really important. This means that it’s very unlikely that they are positive. However testing in babies is different to adults as the following explains: http://i-base.info/guides/pregnancy/hiv-negative
Depending on where is it that you live, breastfeeding may have been recommended. Again, you’re going to need to talk to your wife about this.
The important thing to know is that HIV is a very treatable health condition.
Hi! My Name is Kelvin, I have a situation
I marride a woman who hase a child,
and we have bein haveing unprotected sex since 2018 February until I get her pregnant 2019 01 January, I married her, and then 2019 May 19th she gave birth to twins girls,
So we have bein togather about three years now and then I just discoverd that she is HIV positive and wen I married her I tested HIV negative.
she never told me that she was affected
I just found the card and the DNA report s for my twin children that they are not (Detected)
And the other problem is that she hase blesst feeded them about 8months one week now my question is:
can they be affected too? Can I test positive too and what can I do in this cause.
Hi Confused,
If your girlfriend isn’t on medication and you’ve having sex without a condom, you’re at risk. You’ve been lucky so far. If you want to ensure that you don’t contract HIV you’re going to need to use a condom.
I’m in a relationship my girl friend she’s hiv positive i found out after 5months about this I went to do the test my results come out negative she told me that she stop taking hiv treatment for a year any information about such situation
Hi John,
First, many congratulations on the news that you and your wife are having a baby.
However, it is very common for someone to still be negative even if they have not been using condoms with someone who is HIV positive. HIV is quite a difficult virus to catch, so your negative result is also related to good luck. Please see more on this Q&A.
But how is your wife? Has she started HIV treatment yet? Your wife’s HIV treatment (ART) is the best way to protect your baby from HIV. And once your wife starts ART, the risk of transmission will already be much lower. Then, once her viral load becomes undetectable the risk to you is zero. Please see the Partner study for zero tranmissions to partners when undetectable on ART.
Here is the guide to HIV pregnancy and women’s health for much more info.
My name is john my wife is HIV positive but am negative and she’s pregnant and doctor said I need to be having sex with her because of her pregnancy.wouldn’t I be infected?
Hi Beloved,
Please see Q5 here: https://i-base.info/qa/what-are-the-most-asked-questions
If your partner is on medication and her viral load is undetectable, this will be the reason you’re now being protected. Please see here: http://i-base.info/u-equals-u/
My girlfriend is Hiv positive and was diagnosed 8 months ago,we have been having unprotected sex for 3 years but i did many rapid tests including confirmation tests but they always come out negative,Could i possibly be negative?
Hi Smelokuhle,
This may be a false positive, if you think this is the case then you should have another test. If it is confirmed that you’re positive, I don’t know how you contracted it.