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.
Hi Amanda, all positive test results need to be confirmed with a second test at the laboratory. If this second test is also positive, this is likely to be the real result. If you are positive, everything will be okay, both for you and your baby. This will involve taking HIV meds though which are very good.
hi, i just found out that i’m hiv positive and pregnant withi the cd4 count of 750 but my patner tested and found out he is negetive we have unprotected sex since 2014, so my question is could be anything wrong with the test, this thing is really stressing me out i’m starting to thing that my result were probably wrong.
Hi Maluleka, I am sorry to hear about your recent miscarriage. It doesn’t sound like this was related to HIV. When you are feeling strong enough, it is probably best to retake the HIV test to find out for certain whether your first result was accurate or not.
My partner tested hiv negative & i tested positive but they said its a weak positive while i was 9 weeks pregnant with his child but I recently had a miscarriage.
Hi None, If your positive results were confirmed with a lab test, then you are positive. If they have not been confirmed by a lab. your doctor needs to do this. Many people never find out how they caught HIV, but you need to confirm this first.
Hie,I was tested a year and two months ago (twice) and I was HIV positive and partner then tested negative. My partner tested negative 2 more times after we tested together and then I wanted to know where I got it from so I got my ex boyfriend tested and he was negative too.Then I had sex with another guy when I was drunk,told him my situation and he went and got tested and he was negative,he got tested again after three months and the results were the same so I’m vexed.
Hi Matthews, please see:
http://i-base.info/qa/factsheets/hiv-transmission-and-testing
here comes the big question plz help, i had sex with an HIV positive girl 7 months ago and still i didn’t have any of the symptoms and right now am totally freaking out, i didn’t know her status by that time but now people tell me that she was in a comma 5 years ago because of HIV even though i did use a condom im still scared.
i barely had an erection that day and i didn’t ejaculate at all coz i felt nothing, her vagina secreted no fluid and at first the condom burst inside her but neither of us secreted anything.
im so scared plz help i don’t even wanna go and get tested am scared.
plz reply
Hi Priesca
I don’t know the details of where you are but in every country it is important to get your CD4 results.
Why don’t the doctors give you this? Please ask again and get back to me if I can help. Your shold also have a viral load test before your baby is due.
hi I found out that I’m pregnant and hiv positive and they jst gave me treatment without knowing my CD4 count and I’m still on a treatment not knowing my results and now I’m seven months pregnant what can I do in this case