Hiv and TB link?

[Jess_9898]

If someone has TB does that mean they will get hiv? Does TB cause HIV? I know people who have HIV are prone to getting TB, but if someone is diagnosed with TB does that mean they will also 100% have HIV?

[Sara_MHModerator]

Your question has been fully answered that if you did not have unprotected vaginal or anal intercourse or share IV drug needles, you did not risk HIV.  TB has nothing to do with that.  You've not risked HIV. We are now closing this thread.

***  thread closed ***

[Chima7]

This isn't that difficult to understand. HIV can ONLY infect someone through unprotected anal or vaginal sex or by sharing drug needles with infected users. Babies can get infected by their mother if their mother has HIV and is breastfeeding them. NONE of those things apply to you therefore obviously you don't have HIV.

TB and HIV are completely separate from each other. You can get TB regardless of any of the risk factors that I explained above. But you cannot get HIV except by the risk factors I mentioned above. There is no gray area here.

[Jess_9898]

So what you mean to say is, someone can get TB without HIV? Just because someone has TB it doesn't mean they have HIV, correct?

[Swelter_]

No, if someone has TB, it does not mean they will automatically get HIV. HIV is only transmitted through unprotected vaginal or anal sex, the sharing of needles, or from mother to child. TB is NOT included in this list.

But, as you mentioned, having HIV predisposes one to also getting TB, especially in developing countries.

[Jess_9898]

And if someone gets an HIV test, will the fact that they have or had TB in the past, affect their HIV result in any way?

[Jess_9898]

And if someone does have TB, does it mean they it because they have HIV? Does HIV cause TB? What if someone gets TB but they've never had sex, injected drugs & it wasn't transferred from mother to child either so their TB can't be because of HIV right?

[Jess_9898]

Also, if someone gets TB, it doesn't mean they got TB because they have HIV right? I mean if someone hasn't engaged in sex or drugs and their mother doesn't have HIV either, then TB has nothing to do with HIV, correct? Or is TB caused by HIV?

[Jess_9898]

Can someone please help me? My problem is I had tb when I was 5 years old, apparently I had a swollen gland in my neck which had to be removed. Ever since then I have never had any other problems. I'm in my late 20s now. My concern is I recently read somewhere that TB can happen in people who have HIV and now I'm very scared that the reason for my TB was HIV? I don't know if they tested me back then for HIV but I'm assuming if I had HIV I would be dead by now because it's been 20 years. I did test recently for HIV and it was negative. But I'm still scared that TB means HIV. Can someone please help me

[Sara_MHModerator]

If you have not engaged in things that lead to HIV which are specifically and ONLY unprotected vaginal or anal sex or sharing of IV drug needles, then HIV is not a risk for you with or without TB.  Having HIV means someone may be more likely to get TB but not the other way around.  

[Jess_9898]

Ok thank you, so what you are saying is, if someone has TB it doesn't mean they have to have HIV, right? TB can happen without HIV, correct?

[Jess_9898]

And please answer the second part of my question also, if I got an HIV test 20 years later, the fact that I had or have TB or taken medicine for it in the past, will it affect my HIV test result in any way?

[Jess_9898]

Why is no one answering my questions?
Can someone please tell me for the final time that TB can occur without HIV? If you get TB it doesn't mean you also have HIV right? And if you get an HIV test, does TB or TB medication that you took in the past affect the HIV test result?