Question
When was my boyfriend infected?
1 November 2012. Related: All topics, HIV testing, HIV transmission.
My boyfriend just tested positive for HIV. Apparently he’s had it for years. Why wasn’t this detected at his last visit less than a year ago?
Answer
I’m sorry to hear about your recent boyfriend’s diagnosis.
What makes you think he has had HIV for years? Except for recent infections there is no way of knowing when somebody was infected. If he tested negative last year it’s likely he has been infected since then- unless his last test was a false negative.
For information about the accuracy of testing please see our testing and transmission guide.