Can one person in a monogamous relationship contract a STD and their partner does not?
Asked by neek on August 22, 2013
My friend recently found out she had a STD and only sleeps with one guy. Her partner was tested and came up clean. Is this possible?
Answers
july
August 22, 2013 at 2:01 pm
False positive and false negative results are always possible with any test. Since you don't mention which STD, I can't provide more detailed information.
It's also possible your friend brought the STD into the relationship by contracting it before she met her current partner. In women, some STDs have few symptoms and can be ignored for years.
My recommendation? Both partners should be retested. If one of them has an STD, both should be treated for it regardless of their test results. Some physicians don't do this; some do.
Rivergirl100
August 22, 2013 at 3:56 pm
Depends on the disease.
Some diseases – like HIV – can be caught via non-sexual activity. Like intravenous drug use, or contact with infected blood.
Some diseases – like HPV- can be caught years before and never show symptoms. She could have had this STD since before she met him.
Or the test could be wrong.
Or he could be unfaithful.
Without knowing the disease, it’s hard to know what the situation really is. And for some diseases, its hard to know no matter what.
Good luck.