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Author Topic: Scared, Needle Stick.  (Read 4615 times)

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Offline ScaredRick

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Scared, Needle Stick.
« on: November 23, 2009, 12:56:02 am »
Hello all whom work here I must commend you for all the fantastic work you do here, you truly save people's lives. With that being said, here's my worry. Me and my friends like to get together and play sports and wrestle in the park. we only go there during the day because at night its full of drug users. We live in one of the meth capitals of the world and the park we go to even has a special program where people who are literally in haz mat suits come and pick up needles there are so many. We still see them laying around during the day but we never pay them any attention.
Anyway, one day me and a friend were wrestling and i fell on top of him and used my hand to break my fall. i felt a sharp pain in the palm of my hand and look down and there it was. the needle that stuck me. then my friend grabbed his back in pain and one was actually stook in his back about and inch or two. we pulled it out and immediatley left. neither of us ever spoke of it again but lately ive been worried about hiv infection. I have gone everywhere imaginable and they all say i need to be tested. The CDC says if you are stuck you should immediatley see a doctor. i hope not doing that doesnt come back to bite me.
Everywhere i go says i need to be tested so idk why it would be different here. I mean nurses and Doctors are stuck by needles and get infected idk why it would be any different where im at. so please help me out and tell me what i need to do. Give me some details, thanks. oh and my post here makes it sound like it happend awhile ago, its just been a week.

Offline Ann

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Re: Scared, Needle Stick.
« Reply #1 on: November 23, 2009, 07:10:11 am »
Scared,

The difference between what happened to you and your friends and what happens with a needle-stick in a healthcare setting is time. Hiv is a fragile, difficult to transmit virus that is primarily transmitted INSIDE the human body as in unprotected anal or vaginal intercourse where the virus never leaves the confines of the two bodies. Once hiv is outside the body, small changes in temperature, pH and moisture levels all quickly damage the virus and render it unable to infect.

In a healthcare or needle sharing situation, the needle is immediately stuck into the other person's body. In the healthcare situation, it's actually quite rare for transmission to happen this way. In the needle sharing situation, hiv infected blood is injected directly into the bloodstream. These two situations are very different to being stuck with a needle that has been lying around for hours. It's an uban myth that transmission can happen this way and there are no documented cases of transmission happening from a discarded needle lying around in a park or where ever.

However, there are other blood-borne pathogens that you may be at risk for - particularly hepatitis B and hepatitis C. However, as this forum only deals with hiv, you'll have to see a doctor if you're concerned about hepatitis.

As long as you're here, I'll tell you what you need to know in order to remain hiv negative. Obviously, do not share any drug injecting equipment if you ever decide to experiment with injectable drugs. It's not just to avoid hiv that you need to do this, you're much more likely to get hep C from sharing needles and you don't want hep C either.

You need to be using condoms for anal or vaginal intercourse, every time, no exceptions until such time as you are in a securely monogamous relationship where you have both tested for ALL sexually transmitted infections together. To agree to have unprotected intercourse is to consent to the possibility of being infected with an STI. Sex without a condom lasts only a matter of minutes, but hiv is forever.

Have a look through all three condom and lube links in my signature line so you can use condoms with confidence.

ALTHOUGH YOU DO NOT NEED TO TEST OVER THIS NEEDLE-STICK, anyone who is sexually active should be having a full sexual health care check-up, including but not limited to hiv testing, at least once a year and more often if unprotected intercourse occurs.

If you aren't already having regular, routine check-ups, now is the time to start. As long as you make sure condoms are being used for intercourse, you can fully expect your routine hiv tests to return with negative results. Don't forget to always get checked for all the other sexually transmitted infections as well, because they are MUCH easier to transmit than hiv. If you are not yet sexually active (ie - having intercourse), please keep this information in mind for when you do start having sex.

Use condoms for anal or vaginal intercourse, correctly and consistently, and you will avoid hiv infection. It really is that simple!

Ann

Condoms are a girl's best friend

Condom and Lube Info  

"...health will finally be seen not as a blessing to be wished for, but as a human right to be fought for." Kofi Annan

Nymphomaniac: a woman as obsessed with sex as an average man. Mignon McLaughlin

HIV is certainly character-building. It's made me see all of the shallow things we cling to, like ego and vanity. Of course, I'd rather have a few more T-cells and a little less character. Randy Shilts

Offline ScaredRick

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Re: Scared, Needle Stick.
« Reply #2 on: November 25, 2009, 01:52:48 am »
Hey fellas im back with a um, new worry i guess. I was wondering if anyone has ever been infected with hiv while getting blood drawn, shots or the hiv test in general. i remember reading a story about doctors purposley infecting african babies with the hiv virus and im worried i may have been exposed to it during testing. what do u think? any cases of any of this? yea and i was also wondering if their are any strands of hiv that dont show up on a test at 3 months? not to sound dumb or like im making a joke but wat about this super-aids stuff?
« Last Edit: November 25, 2009, 01:58:19 am by ScaredRick »

Offline Ann

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    • Num is sum qui mentiar tibi?
Re: Scared, Needle Stick.
« Reply #3 on: November 25, 2009, 05:20:33 am »
Rick,

No, people don't become infected "while getting blood drawn, shots or the hiv test in general".

The situation in Africa (Libya) had to do with blood transfusions in the 1990s and medics falsely accused of conspiracy and is not relevant today.

You will not have been exposed during testing.

There are no strains that cannot be detected by three months.

"Superinfection" with hiv has nothing to do with you. You have to have hiv in the first place in order to have superinfection. It does not mean super as in super-duper, it means super as in superimposed. One infection on top of the other.

Ann
Condoms are a girl's best friend

Condom and Lube Info  

"...health will finally be seen not as a blessing to be wished for, but as a human right to be fought for." Kofi Annan

Nymphomaniac: a woman as obsessed with sex as an average man. Mignon McLaughlin

HIV is certainly character-building. It's made me see all of the shallow things we cling to, like ego and vanity. Of course, I'd rather have a few more T-cells and a little less character. Randy Shilts

Offline ScaredRick

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Re: Scared, Needle Stick.
« Reply #4 on: November 25, 2009, 01:11:11 pm »
So, no person has ever been purposely infected with hiv in a healthcare setting? i was reading some old posts on here and a guy had the same fear i did. he was like" i didnt see where the needle came from". and its impossible to create an undetectable strand of hiv?

Offline Andy Velez

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Re: Scared, Needle Stick.
« Reply #5 on: November 25, 2009, 01:27:58 pm »
Stop doing all of this totally unhelpful "research." You didn't have a risk as Ann has explained to you throughly.

If you continue surfing the net you are definitely going to find stuff that will feed your fears and all to no good purpose.

Re-read what Ann told you. She covered all the basics that you need to know. And get on with your life.
Andy Velez

Offline ScaredRick

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Re: Scared, Needle Stick.
« Reply #6 on: November 25, 2009, 02:28:56 pm »
I just find it hard to believe that a health care worker has never puposely infected someone with hiv while giving the test. i passed out a for a few seconds before they put the needle in me that would have been perfect time for them.

Offline Andy Velez

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Re: Scared, Needle Stick.
« Reply #7 on: November 25, 2009, 02:39:55 pm »
You find that hard to believe? OK. This stops right now. You're talking fantasies, bud. We're not going to participate in that sort of stuff with you.

If you come back with more of the same you're going to get yourself a Time Out for 28 days from this site.

You need to discuss these ideas of yours with a therapist or other professional. We can't help you with that problem in this setting. Consider yourself warned.  
« Last Edit: November 25, 2009, 02:42:07 pm by Andy Velez »
Andy Velez

 


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