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Prefer Ignorance to Risk of Positive Test Result!
Hello,
I am in a monogamous relationship with a single partner and I was negative when I came into the relationship. His status is not know, but he states that the possibility is "very low" due to his history. There is absolutely no risk on my end from sprending anything to anyone because anything in our relationship would have had to come from him. I am also very aware that he could cheat etc, I get that. I also get that if he were positive that I might be negative now but positive later due to repeated opportunaties for exposure eventually resulting in transmission. I also get that he can be lying.
My question is this. Presume for the sake of this question that either both he and I are HIV positive, or both he and I are not. In other words, testing would not be to prevent one of use from getting it, or prevent one of us from giving it to a third person, but rather just to know the status conclusively. We talked about test and are both scared. I would say that we both agree that the known safey of blissful ignorance is preferable to the potential catastrophic drama of an unexpected positive test result. Both doing a home test might have been a good option, but in the end it was just too yucky an idea.
Here is the key question. I do not see any discussion out there about the safety of blissful ignorance as a motivating factor... it results in the very least in our case in EXTENDED procrastination.
Do I HAVE to get tested? Why? Is the only other option learning of HIV status by manefestation of syptoms in one or both of us? (there are no known symptoms). If I did that, would that translate to full blown AIDs? Is it possible to learn of HIV/AIDs using the wait and see approach and not have it be a fatal mistake?
In other words, why exactly should I get tested when news of a positive test result would be so emotionally devastating and right now my status is "not tested positive.... no symptoms...."
Your thoughts would be appreciated!
Thank you.
I am in a monogamous relationship with a single partner and I was negative when I came into the relationship. His status is not know, but he states that the possibility is "very low" due to his history. There is absolutely no risk on my end from sprending anything to anyone because anything in our relationship would have had to come from him. I am also very aware that he could cheat etc, I get that. I also get that if he were positive that I might be negative now but positive later due to repeated opportunaties for exposure eventually resulting in transmission. I also get that he can be lying.
My question is this. Presume for the sake of this question that either both he and I are HIV positive, or both he and I are not. In other words, testing would not be to prevent one of use from getting it, or prevent one of us from giving it to a third person, but rather just to know the status conclusively. We talked about test and are both scared. I would say that we both agree that the known safey of blissful ignorance is preferable to the potential catastrophic drama of an unexpected positive test result. Both doing a home test might have been a good option, but in the end it was just too yucky an idea.
Here is the key question. I do not see any discussion out there about the safety of blissful ignorance as a motivating factor... it results in the very least in our case in EXTENDED procrastination.
Do I HAVE to get tested? Why? Is the only other option learning of HIV status by manefestation of syptoms in one or both of us? (there are no known symptoms). If I did that, would that translate to full blown AIDs? Is it possible to learn of HIV/AIDs using the wait and see approach and not have it be a fatal mistake?
In other words, why exactly should I get tested when news of a positive test result would be so emotionally devastating and right now my status is "not tested positive.... no symptoms...."
Your thoughts would be appreciated!
Thank you.
Best to get a test done, if it did turn out to be positive, you can get the attention you need to mange your condition, in this situation ignorance is not bliss
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