you’re still negative?
- “If a guy had HIV, he’d tell me”
- “He didn’t mention HIV. So no need for condoms.”
- “I tested negative in the past, so must still be OK”
- “If I had HIV I’d know. I’d feel ‘different’.”
- “If I’ve got HIV I’d rather not know.”
- “I’ll wait until I’m ill before I test.”
- “I sometimes worry about getting HIV”
- “I got ill a few weeks after unsafe sex. Was it serious?”
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sexual health
“I tested negative in the past, so must still be OK”
An old negative result is worth little if you’ve had unprotected anal sex since. Lots of us have tested negative in the past but got HIV since our last test without realising. Gay men are recommended to test at least once a year — and more often if they’ve had unprotected anal sex.
Between 8,000 and 10,000 gay men in the UK have HIV without knowing. Most think they're still HIV negative. One in four gay men with HIV don't realise they have it.
So lots of us have HIV without realising. Now let's bust some myths!
- This article was last reviewed on: 11/10/2011
- Date due for next review: 11/10/2013
