HIVhomegirl tested HIV-positive when she was 19 years old. Find out how she contracted HIV and how her story unfolds over the next few weeks.

I was the girl who had it all figured out. I knew what I wanted and how to get it. I was getting ready to go into my second year of studying dance at a university. I had a nice guy and we were dating. Life was good. But I wasn’t feeling well.

For a long time I had been feeling really tired. I had no appetite and had lost a lot weight. I had a white rash in my mouth and my gums. I kept getting colds. My mom was worried and she wanted me to get a full medical check-up before I left to go back to university after the holidays.

The clinic suggested I should get some blood tests done. It came as a bit of a surprise when the doctor suggested I get tested for HIV.

I was hesitant at first but then I figured: "Why not?" It wouldn't be anything serious. I was 19 and I had only slept with one guy - who was my current boyfriend. I knew him. I was confident that we were both okay. Usually you get HIV results in about fifteen minutes but they sent my tests away to the lab along with all the other health checks they did.

When I left the clinic I became restless. We’d just started sleeping together. Could he have given me HIV? My mind was racing.

I got straight on my phone and called him. I asked him straight up. I was scared to hear his answer. I was also scared to ask him in case he got angry that I was questioning him. But my stress took over. He was pretty shocked and told me he didn’t actually know his status. He said he would get tested right away.

He went the next day to a free test at the clinic. He was negative. I breathed a sigh of relief. I remember thinking that if he’s negative, I must be too.

Then my doctor called me. He said I needed to come in.

HIVhomegirl needs to get the results of her HIV test. Her boyfriend tested negative - but there’s a window period of three months during which an HIV test may not deliver the correct result. Has he cheated on her? Find out more in the next blog.