Question
Am I an HIV carrier?
18 November 2013. Related: All topics, Sero different couples.
My wife tested positive in 2006 and I tested negative. We have been testing every six months from then until now.She was put on medication since then & the virus is now not detectable.The question is,can I be classified as a carrier as the doctor stated when we went for testing in September 2013. I have since 2006 tested negative for both hiv elisa tests 1& 2.
Answer
Hi,
Thanks for your email.
I am glad to hear that your wife is doing so well on treatment.
The term ‘HIV carrier’ doesn’t mean anything. You are either HIV positive or HIV negative. Please see this question for more information about the term ‘HIV carrier’.
You could also have a look at our FAQs for couples where one person is positive and the other is negative for more information.
Hi Robert – this is very common – and you have just been very lucky so far. For more info please see Q5 at this FAQ link page:
https://i-base.info/qa/what-are-the-most-asked-questions
I want know something about my self my partner testing hiv positive am testing negative wat happened
Hi Precious,
First, it’s great to hear your twins tested HIV negative. It sounds like you did all you could to make sure of this.
But almost always people who are HIV positive need to keep taking HIV treatment (ART). It could be that your immune system is managing to keep HIV undetectable without meds. And so there might not be enough HIV to transmit. People who can do this are called elite controllers.
However, ART is still generally recommended in the long-term. So it’s a good idea to ask the clinic to test your viral load. HIV can be passed on if viral load is not undetectable. Undetectable is a viral load less than 50 copies/mL. Please see this link to Undetectable = Untransmittable (U=U).
Starting ART again can have important benefits for your health. That’s even at a high CD4 count. Please see this link to more info about Start.
Please let us know how you get on.
Hi. I would like to know the type of HIV virus I have. My blood group is O+ and I tested positive when I was pregnant and my husband tested negative. I was put on treatment till I gave birth and I didn’t breastfeed my twins but they were put on treatment as well till they turned 2 years, they also tested negative.
I continued sleeping with my husband with condoms on, as time went by, he started refusing using condoms so we had sex without any protection and every time he goes for tests, always comes negative.
We divorced after 4 yrs in marriage, and after that I stopped taking drugs till today and i have never gotten sick or show any symptoms, am still in denial. I got in a new relationship which lasted 5 yrs and we never used condoms and the partner is still negative….MY QUESTION IS WHAT COULD IT BE THAT I DONT INFECT OTHER PEOPLE NO MATTER HOW MANY TIMES I HAVE UNPROTECTED SEX WITH THEM, WHAT VIRUS AM I CARRYING OR COULD BE THW REASON?? THANKS IN ADVANCE.
Hi Lil.
If you haven’t changed sexual partner, the result could be a false positive. The best thing to do is to have another test. If it’s possible you should also ask to have a CD4 count and viral load test. If your partner hasn’t yet tested, they should have a test.
I had my baby in oct 2018 and then I tested negative for hiv, I’ve tested again in 3/9/2020 and I am hiv positive yet I’ve not had an affair since I had my baby, what could av happened in between
Hi Gift,
There are different tests that are used to test for HIV. Please see this Q&A for info.
However, most people (95%) produce antibodies to HIV in about 4 weeks after exposure. The other 5% can take up to 3 months. These are the window periods for antibody tests. There’s much more info about different tests in the link above.
Are the test kits used worldwide similar and do they all work the same way to detect the virus strains of the virus?How long can one take after an exposure to the virus before they turn positive and can they infect while in that state before testing positive?
Hi Chilambwe,
If you’re negative, it isn’t possible that your husband contracted HIV from you. So please don’t pay any attention to what your family are saying as it’s simply not possible. If you’re negative, there’s no reason why you can’t continue to breastfeed your child.
Because you’re negative, this means that your husband contracted HIV from someone else. You may need to have a chat with him about who his sexual partners have been, because he didn’t contract HIV from you.
I need your professional help my ex husband thinks i am carrier of HIV …what happened was at the beginning of our relationship before we even kissed we first test for HIV and we were both negative..but after i got pregnant we went so that he could be MC he test and he was positive and i also test and till now am negative ..but my family says am might be a carrier including him says so every time we argue…i was told to stop breastfeeding my 8 months old son and i feel broken please help me.