I had a child in 1995 I was very sexually active before marriage, but I was tested for HIV in 1996 and it was negative at that time. Now can a test be negative for a long time or does it usually show up right away. I would also like to know if a child has HIV and is not aware of it. How long can a child survive without treatment?

It sounds as if you were tested a year after your child was born and you were HIV negative. If you have not had any ongoing risk factors for infection, you likely have remained HIV negative and thus there would not be any risk of transmitting HIV after birth to your child(through breastfeeding, for example).

While symptoms of HIV infection often show up earlier in children than in adults, some children can go for long periods of time (even up to 10-15 years) without symptoms or signs. So specific testing for HIV is important if a child is thought to be at risk. If you have remained HIV negative after the birth of your child, your child is not at risk and does not need HIV testing.