Hi<\/p>\n
I’m sorry to hear that your and your girlfriend are both HIV-positive. It sounds like you are still in shock and it will take time to come to terms with this.<\/p>\n
There are several reasons why your first test was negative:<\/p>\n
i) you may not have been infected when you took the test. Being exposed to HIV doesn’t always lead to an infection. You may have just been lucky for several months and then unlucky on one day. Any blood exposure risk is much higher risk than any sexual risk, and this could explain why on this occasion you were infected.<\/p>\n
ii) you may have been HIV-positive when you took the first test, but still within the window period when the test doesn’t work – this is usually a period of up to three months after exposure, when your body may not have generated HIV antibodies.<\/p>\n
Although I am optimistic that someday HIV could be cured, I think it is unlikely to occur in the next 10 years.<\/p>\n
HIV treatment however is effective and can give you a good chance of a long and natural life, until the cure is discovered.<\/p>\n
You may not need treatment now, or for several years, but knowing this should help you to still focus on a happy and positive future. It may not feel like this now, but things will get much easier.<\/p>\n
You didn’t say where you live, but most countries have networks or HIV-positive organisations where you can speak with people in the same situation, and which can help with other aspects of support. Please let me know if you would like me to try and suggest groups in your country.<\/p>\n
These questions may also be helpful:<\/p>\n
How long can someone live with HIV?<\/a><\/p>\n