Staying Negative

Taking an HIV test and finding out that you don’t have HIV can make you feel invincible, but that feeling can spell trouble.

Guys who come into CAMP to be tested for HIV spend a lot of time worrying about a positive test result, so if you test negative it can be a big relief. This is natural and hopefully it will make you want to avoid risks in the future so you don’t have to worry again.

However some guys will think that since they didn't catch HIV the last time they won’t catch it the next time either and will put themselves at risk again and worry about it less. The truth is, if you’ve taken the risks in the past and then tested negative, you’ve been lucky. That luck can run out at any time.

Studies show that guys who get a few negative tests often go on to take more risks in the future. Taking these risks means they have a high chance of catching HIV. So, what’s going on? Some men use the negative result as a chance to stay safer. Others think that the negative result gives you the go ahead to carry on taking risks without the worry,

Testing for HIV isn’t enough to stay negative; avoiding risky sex is something you should avoid. Gay men expect that testing negative will resolve all their issues; this is not the case. HIV tests can tell you what your HIV status is now. It can’t predict what it will be in the future, especially if you are taking risks. Some men test HIV negative because they always stick to safer sex – but other guys test negative after taking risks that could have caused them to catch HIV. That's there the confusion begins.

There are a lot of incorrect beliefs out there. Some men who remain HIV negative after unsafe sex believe that there is something unique about them that make it unlikely they'll get HIV. Some men feel charmed when they get several negative results, believe it's a sign that they cannot become infected.

So, if you haven’t yet got HIV from the sex you’re having, should you assume it’s safe or that you won’t ever get HIV? The short answer is no. Some people get infected with HIV the first time they have unsafe sex and some guys get HIV after a few times. Not every unprotected boink automatically gives you HIV but it doesn't make you feel safe. If you have sex with a guy who has HIV without using condoms, you might not get infected that time. However, there is no guarantee that you won’t get infected if you did exactly the same thing again.

Leaving your HIV status to luck makes it likely you’ll catch HIV, but you can make decisions to stay uninfected by choosing safer sex. Using a condom every time is the most effective way to avoid HIV. Not catching HIV is down to you and decisions that you make every time you have sex.