POZ Community Forums
HIV Prevention and Testing => Do I Have HIV? => Topic started by: Hooch3456 on February 16, 2013, 04:09:24 am
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I was recently at an STD clinic for something unrelated. While I was waiting I was playing around with a pin I use to take the sim out of my iPhone and it fell on a chair. A week or so later I accidentally jabbed myself with that same pin and now Im worried I've caught something that may have been living on that seat from the person before me.
Is there a chance I may have got anything?
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Hooch,
You absolutely cannot get hiv or any other STI from seats in a waiting area. Or seats in any other setting either. Nor can you get hiv or any other STIs from a pin that sat in one of the seats.
Here's what you need to know in order to avoid hiv infection:
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 the condom and lube links in my signature line so you can use condoms with confidence.
ALTHOUGH YOU DO NOT NEED TO TEST FOR ANYTHING AFTER SITTING IN A WAITING AREA, 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. Some of the other STIs can be present with no obvious symptoms, so the only way to know for sure is to test.
Use condoms for anal or vaginal intercourse, correctly and consistently, and you will avoid hiv infection. It really is that simple!
Ann