Question

My partner is positive, am I really negative?

17 April 2013. Related: All topics, Pregnancy, Sero different couples.

My partner tested positive and I tested negative but has discovered that I am pregnant at the same time. Does it mean I am infected now and my baby as well? Please help!

Answer

Answer: Rebecca McDowall

Hi,

Thanks for your question. If you are HIV negative and pregnant then your baby will also be negative. This is because HIV passes from mother to child, not from the father to child.

It is important that you check your HIV status again if you have had unprotected sex with your partner in the last 3 months. This is because it can take this long for HIV infection to show up on some tests. But there is still a good chance that you are HIV negative. HIV doesn’t pass every time a positive person has unprotected sex. For this reason there are many couples where one person is positive and the other negative. This doesn’t mean that you are immune to infection though, and it is very important to use a condom whenever you have sex with your partner to prevent future infection. Please see this previous question for more information