Paul and Alexandria’s Story – CHTC Steps 6-8 Concordant Negative

So, I have your test results. Are you both ready to hear your results together? Okay. So your test results are the same. They are both HIV negative. That means neither of you have HIV. Yes. Whew. That's awesome news, that's great, right honey? Oh, absolutely! I see you're relieved. So do you understand what your test results mean? Yeah. We don't have HIV, right? That's right. The test did not detect HIV antibodies at this time. So you do not have HIV. How do you feel about these results. Relieved. I feel great. I knew we didn't have anything to worry, but, you never know. And now we're both negative, so we can do whatever we want. I mean if we're on birth control, and we're exclusive, we don't have to use condoms anymore. Well, let's talk a little bit more about that. While getting a negative HIV result is a great outcome, I want to make sure you both remain HIV negative. We discussed your agreement about sex, and you both decided to be exclusive. You mentioned that you're leaning towards marriage someday, right? Yep, that's the long term plan. And now that you have your HIV test results, is there anything about your agreement that you want to revisit or change? No. That's just strengthened this agreement for me. Yeah. I mean, I just want to be with Alexandria. That's really great. It's awesome to see that you guys care so much about each other. Because we see lots of different types of couples in here, I do want to remind you that if you break up, or you change your mind about your agreement, remember that using condoms with partners is the most effective way to prevent HIV transmission. And if you do ever have other partners, it's also important to know their HIV status. Does that makes sense? Now Paul, I want to get back to your question about doing whatever you want as a couple, now that you've tested HIV negative. Do you remember when we talked about retesting for HIV, to be sure your results are truly negative? Well, to be honest, it's all kind of a bit of a blur right now. I think so though. Is that where the test could be wrong, even though the results are negative? Yeah, let me explain why again. It is really likely that your HIV test results today are accurate. However, if you've had any recent exposure to the virus, like in the last four to six weeks, there's a window of time in which results aren't as accurate. You could have a false reading, and could actually be HIV positive. That's why we suggest that all HIV negative couples be retested in four weeks, to be sure the results are truly HIV. And in my experience, most couples want to be as safe as possible. So they decide to retest in four weeks, and to protect themselves during sex in the meantime. Does that all seem fair to you? Yeah, well, I want to do the safest thing, but, I haven't been with anyone but Paul, so that seems kind of weird. We aren't making any assumptions about who you've been with. It's really just about being as safe as possible together, and having the most confidence in your test results. Paul, what do you think about retesting in four weeks? I mean, I guess we can do it. I just want to do what's best for me and Alexandria. Yeah, I mean me too. Right, And then after that, as long as you haven't had any recent exposure, we usually recommend regular retesting every six to 12 months. I give these recommendations about retesting to all couples who test HIV negative. Paul, we use condoms most of the time anyway. What's another month? I guess. I'm sure we can find ways to be creative until then. Plus I need to be good with my birth control. Sometimes I forget to take the pill. So we need to be careful anyway. Yeah. That's a good point. So can I make an appointment for you both to be retested here, in about a month? Listen, before you go, I want to link you with some other follow-up services that might be helpful for you, as you move forward in your relationship. Alexandria, I heard you're concerned about birth control. There are lots of options, and it is great that you want to find what works best for you and your lifestyle. Do you have a gynecologist that you see? I had one, but I'm not too crazy about him. I told him I didn't think the pill was for me, but that's what he prescribed. Well, I have a list of providers here. And some of them are low-cost or provide free services based on your situation. Thanks. And I would like to also recommend that you both get screened for other sexually transmitted infections. Especially if you're thinking that eventually you want to get engaged and married. You might think you're okay, but some infections are not obvious, and could affect you later on. Like when you're ready to start a family. You might as well get checked out. So, here is a clinic that does a battery of tests for low-cost or free. Thanks. Yeah, thanks. So that's all for now. Thanks for coming, guys. Take care of yourselves, and I'll see you in about a month. Thank you, Randi. Thanks for everything today. Yeah, see you soon.

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