POZ Community Forums

HIV Prevention and Testing => Do I Have HIV? => Topic started by: KRM on July 20, 2006, 09:20:25 am

Title: blood exposion
Post by: KRM on July 20, 2006, 09:20:25 am
Hi everybody,

I was in a bar with a buddy who cut his finger on a broken shotglass, it was bleeding quite a bit but he got it patched up and the blood was cleaned up (i didn't touch it) and the evening continued. The patchup, however, wasn't that great since he's finger continued to leak a little bit. Before going to bed I noticed I had got some of his blood on my shirt. My question is, am I at risk if he is HIV+? What if I inadvertantly touched the stain on my shirt and rubbed my eyes or picked my nose? How much blood is required in the eyes or nose for an infection? I don't know he's status but I know he's sexually active. Thankful for any answers!
Title: Re: blood exposion
Post by: Andy Velez on July 20, 2006, 09:26:23 am
KRM, what your question reveals is that you need to know more about the means of HIV transmission. It does not occur in the kind of incident you're concerned about. You were not at risk nor is there any need for testing. HIV is a fragile virus and it's not easy to transmit.

The situation you are concerned about is essentially a bunch of ifs. If the man is HIV+ and if he had been pouring HIV+ blood into an open wound of your own or IF it had gone directly into your eye or IF IF IF. Even IF those things happened it would still be questionable as to how much risk there would have been. But those things DIDN'T happen. So you are worrying for naught. There's no need for testing.

Read the lesson on this site about transmission. You'll find a link to it in the first thread in this Forum. This epidemic is going to be around for a longtime to come so to protect your health and to spare yourself this kind of unneccesary worry it's time for you to be up on the real facts about transmission.

This time you have no cause for further concern about this incident.

Cheers,
Title: Re: blood exposion
Post by: KRM on July 20, 2006, 09:34:26 am
Thanks for your quick reply Andy, it's greatly appreciated! It's just that I've read about some healthcare staff getting infected by HIV+ blood entering their eyes or nose. Has it been transferred there via touch or somehow splashed there? Seems somehow strange... Thanks again!
Title: Re: blood exposion
Post by: Andy Velez on July 20, 2006, 09:45:51 am
I don't know what you've been reading and I cannot account for material you find on other sites. A splash in the eye could potentially be a means of transmission in certain very specific circumstances like in a medical setting or an accident. That isn't what happened to you.

I urge you to stop searching the net for more (dis)information because I can promise you that in doing that you will find material to feed your worst unfounded fears. No kidding.
Title: Re: blood exposion
Post by: KRM on July 20, 2006, 09:51:11 am
You're right Andy. Thanks for your time, have a great summer!
Title: Re: blood exposion
Post by: KRM on July 26, 2006, 04:12:12 am
Hi Ann,

Just noticed you're online, i'm still a bit worried about the above incident, would there really have to be a huge amount of blood in the eyes or nose or how does it work? Is it possible to transfer enough blood into my eyes by rubbing them with my hands? Or picking my nose for that matter? Thanks for any answers, i'm having a hard time forgetting this thing...
Title: Re: blood exposion
Post by: RapidRod on July 26, 2006, 04:22:25 am
Those that have said they were infected are occupational hazards in a health care setting and it was with large amounts of blood. The answers to your questions is NO.
Title: Re: blood exposion
Post by: KRM on July 26, 2006, 04:29:09 am
Thanks RapidRod, i'm just beeing a bit paranoid about finding the blood on my clothes. I keep thinking I touched the stain or my buddy's hands directly and then rubbed my eyes or picked my nose (both bad habbits I know). Just to clarify, are you saying I have absolutely nothing to worry about?
Title: Re: blood exposion
Post by: RapidRod on July 26, 2006, 04:32:58 am
That is exactly what I am saying.
Title: Re: blood exposion
Post by: KRM on July 26, 2006, 04:36:10 am
Ok, thanks for the quick answers, I'll try to stop worrying about this. Cheers!
Title: Re: blood exposion
Post by: KRM on July 30, 2006, 05:32:55 am
Hi Ann, I saw you're online, what's your take on my story? Not that I don't trust RapidRod's and Andy's advice, quite the contrary. Have I understood it correctly that it is not possible to transmit the virus by hand to your eyes or nose? I had no cuts or broken skin. I'm a lot more relaxed about this after getting thte answers I've already got, just need a bit of reassuring... Thanks!
Title: Re: blood exposion
Post by: Ann on July 30, 2006, 05:54:29 am
KRM,

You did NOT have a risk of hiv infection in the incident you describe. Hiv is primarily transmitted INSIDE the human body, as in unprotected anal or vaginal intercourse.

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 STIs together. To agree to have unprotected intercourse is to consent to the possibility of being infected with a sexually transmitted infection.

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

Use condoms and avoid hiv infection. Yes, it really is that simple.

Ann
Title: Re: blood exposion
Post by: KRM on July 30, 2006, 06:03:42 am
Thanks Ann, I hate to be a pest but what does it mean when you say PRIMARILY inside the body? How could it transmit outside the body?
Title: Re: blood exposion
Post by: Ann on July 30, 2006, 06:14:56 am
KRM,

The majority of hiv infections around the world have been caused by unprotected anal or vaginal intercourse.

There have been some exceptions, such as needle stick injury (and these usually involve a health care worker becoming infected after accidentally jabbing themselves with a needle they have JUST USED on an hiv positive person). There have been a few emergency medical people infected when they were deeply cut at the scene of an accident where a positive person was also deeply cut. There is the RARE case of someone who becomes infected through giving a blowjob to an infected person. Then of course there is the situation where people who inject drugs recreationally, share their injecting equipment IMMEDIATELY after use.

If you also cut yourself - deeply - when your friend cut himself and you rubbed your cuts together, then maybe, MAYBE you MIGHT become infected, provided of course that he is actually hiv positive. But that's not what happened at all, is it.

You did NOT have a risk of hiv infection.

Use condoms for intercourse and you will remain hiv negative. It really, really, REALLY is that simple!

Ann
Title: Re: blood exposion
Post by: KRM on July 30, 2006, 06:22:28 am
Ok Ann, point taken. Your kind help is greatly appreciated, as is Andy's and RapidRods and everybody else's who take the time to share their expertise with us! Thanks again!
Title: Re: blood exposion
Post by: KRM on July 31, 2006, 08:25:11 am
Hi again Ann, I was reading the CD4/CD8 count thread and saw that you referred to some specific cells that the hi virus must latch on to in order to infect, you mentioned they are found in the urethra,anus and so forth. Are these cells also found in the eyes or nose, and if so, could this be a way of infection?
Title: Re: blood exposion
Post by: Ann on July 31, 2006, 08:31:59 am
KRM,

If there was any threat to you in the situation you described, don't you think we'd tell you? We're not in the business of letting people go around with possible undetected hiv infection. Our goal here is to increase awareness of what is actually a risk and what isn't and to urge people to get tested if they have engaged in any risky activities. You haven't.

You only need to test if you have been having unprotected anal or vaginal intercourse.


No, those cells are not present in the nose and not that I am aware of, in the eyes. You'd need a huge splash of blood into your eyes before there would be any reason to worry. But that didn't happen, did it.

You were NOT at risk in the situation you describe!

Ann
Title: Re: blood exposion
Post by: KRM on July 31, 2006, 08:36:51 am
Thanks for your quick answers and patience! I don't mean to keep asking questions about my no-risk incident but the mind wanders... I won't trouble you again with this, your help has been great, thank you!
Title: cigarette burn
Post by: KRM on November 06, 2006, 04:29:21 am
Hi again guys,

Thanks again for the replies I got last time, I now have a new concern I would like to get your expert input on. What happened is, during a night out with friends I got burnt by a cigarette on my hand by mistake. I remember it hurting a little but it didn't bleed or feel that bad at the time and I forgot about it until next morning.
When taking a shower it stung a little and I noticed a small (1mm diameter) red spot where, I assume, there had been a blister. There was also a bigger red area from the burn around it.
I can't recall getting anybodys bodily fluids on my hands at any point during the evening, but I did meet a lot of people and did a lot of handshaking. I realize there would have to be some bloodcontact for transmission to occur, and I cant shake the tought of somebody having a cut or something on their hands when they were shaking mine....
I apologize if this to some of you sounds like stupid question, but it is a genuine worry of mine. So, what are my risks? Thanks in advance for any advice.
 

Title: Re: blood exposion
Post by: RapidRod on November 06, 2006, 06:40:56 am
NONE!!
Title: Re: blood exposion
Post by: KRM on November 06, 2006, 06:48:15 am
Thanks RapidRod, I know i'm being a bit paranoid here but the thing is I can't be sure that I didn't get any blood or something on my hands. Would it be possible to get infected through a burnwound? If so, would it require a large amount of blood? I apologize if I'm waisting your time again but I just need to get this straight in my mind. Thanks!
Title: Re: blood exposion
Post by: RapidRod on November 06, 2006, 06:57:35 am
Just like you can't be sure a meteorite won't strike you in the head as you walk into work. You did not have a risk.
Title: Re: blood exposion
Post by: KRM on November 06, 2006, 07:18:59 am
I hear what you're saying RapidRod.... there's of course no way to be 100% sure especially with a bit of drink involved. Looking at my little burnmark again it's actually about 2mm in diameter with a 10mm red area around, it'll probably be gone in a few days. Could this burn be considered a deep cut or just an abrasion? I would just like to know what exactly is meant by a deep cut that the virus could possible infect through?
Title: Re: blood exposion
Post by: Ann on November 06, 2006, 07:31:56 am
KRM,

If you're worried about you burn, go see a doctor about it. This is not an hiv concern in any way, shape or form and you will not be permitted to post ad nauseum about it here. This is an hiv forum, not a burns unit.

Ann
Title: Re: blood exposion
Post by: KRM on November 06, 2006, 07:36:01 am
Ok Ann, point taken once again. Thanks all, I wont be bothering you with this again. Cheers!