Question
Can someone be HIV negative but an HIV “carrier”?
26 March 2010. Related: All topics.
Answer
No, people are either HIV positive or HIV negative. There is no such thing as a carrier – and the word is not relevant to HIV.
You cannot tell if anyone is HIV positive. The way to know if someone is HIV positive is if they tell you about their status and they have had conclusive evidence from an HIV test.
For more information on testing and transmission please follow this link to the i-Base factsheet.
Hello Jesse and thanks for getting in touch.
Congratulations on your baby! You must be very happy.
Please do not worry.
If your wife took ARVs during her pregnancy then your child should be HIV-free.
The only way to know for sure though is when you test your child.
Has this been done already? Or have you made arrangements?
Usually this is arranged through the HIV clinic.
My wife and I are married for 4 yrs now she got the first child 2023 December and that’s the time we get tested and she was his positive and I negative,is it possible that the child is infected
Hi Sma, there is no such thing as a carrier – you are either living with HIV (HIV positive) or not (HIV negative). So it sounds like you are HIV positive. If you sleep with another person who is HIV positive there is not likely to be any problems. If neither of you are on HIV treatment there is a small chance of reinfection.
What will heppen if you sleep with a carrier person and you hiv positive for 8 years?
Hi Luc, please see here for more information about testing and transmission: https://i-base.info/qa/factsheets/hiv-transmission-and-testing
I have all symptoms of hiv, rash on face and genitals mouth infection diareah that wont stop night sweats troubles focusing pain in anus weight loss and dry skin but tested negative at 5 weeks could i still have hiv
Hi Robert, this is a service about HIV and you are negative.
Hi am Robert am 30 yrs and I have had a problem that disturbs my mind and my whole life in general,I had a r/ship with a girl until one day we came to an misunderstanding and we had to separate that’s when she told na “mimi najua chenye nilikupatia”,I thought she only said the words because she never wanted to loose me yet but I was wrong because five years later I started feeling unwell and have been testing many times now and the doctors find nothing in my blood and body,,,itchiness and rashes that turn into sores after scratching them please seriously looking for a solution on my condition.
Hi Purity, I am sorry to hear about your sister. How is she doing?
When your sister originally tested positive for HIV did she have any follow up tests? and did she start treatment?
Do you know the type of test that she has had most recently which showed that she is HIV negative? Was this a test looking for antibodies or your sisters viral load?
If on treatment, it is possible a viral load would come back as undetectable (“negative”). Treatment works to suppress viral load as low as possible.
If she is HIV positive, any ANTIBODY test that she does will still remain positive. Having a hysterectomy will not cause your sister to become HIV negative.