37 weeks pregnant, hopefully no risk situation - please advice

[worrierme]

Hi

I've tried looking for similar circumstances on the net but finding it hard, wondering if any of you wonderful people could advice.

I borrowed my sisters swimsuit recently, and didn't think til afterwards that I know her HIV status is questionable (has never tested (we live in UK) but numerous partners with no protection used as she was fitted with coil for contraception).

I know HIV isn't ordinarily transmitted by clothes, however I'm just worried that

1) she could have unknowingly leaked vaginal secretions/menstrual blood onto the item.

2) I tried the item on without underwear either (to make sure it fit) and at the time did have small cuts in that area (from shaving bikini line) and a small sore on my outer labia (I went on to develop thrush the following week, which is at which point I started to worry she could have passed anything on.

There would have been a gap of around 6 hours from when she passed it to me and I tried it on if that makes any difference?

I think my pregnancy is fuelling any paranoia, but if I need to get tested I need to do it quick so that any preventative measures to stop me passing anything on to my baby can be taken.

This was 8 weeks ago by the way - so is this too soon to test if needed??

Many thanks for any responses

[Ann]

worrier,

No risk!

It wouldn't matter if there WAS menstrual blood or vaginal secretions on the bikini, it's not a risk for hiv infection. No way, no how. Hiv is a fragile, difficult to transmit virus which is primarily transmitted INSIDE the human body, as in unprotected anal or vaginal intercourse. It is NOT transmitted from environmental surfaces.

As a pregnant woman, you should have been screened by now for hiv infection. If you haven't, I highly recommend that you do. Not because of the bikini, but because if you've ever had unprotected intercourse with someone of unknown status, then you have been at risk. Unless you've tested negative together  with every single one of your (unprotected) sexual partners over the years, then you've had sex with a person of unknown status.

Ann

[RapidRod]

worrierme didn't you ask the same question on Dec 17 and Jan 14th in another forum?

[worrierme]

Hi

Ann - Thanks for your response - I have indeed been STD tested earlier in pregnancy (although am lucky enough to be in a relationship with a person with no previous sexual contacts- the same with me)

I've been for a screen at my GUM clinic just to be on the safe side (for contraction of any other infections) and had negative results for all (although these were at 8.5 weeks post the incident I originally referred to)

My concerns is from when you read generally that HIV can be contracted through broken skin and I don't think enough emphasis is placed on the contact being DIRECT (i.e. Fluid sraight from body) which the Health Advisor at the local clinic advised me.

[worrierme]

Rod

I did ask the same question in another forum (which I believe you also use), but was asking for others opinions, as I would have thought most people wouldn;t want to rely on one sole source of information.

Thanks

[Andy Velez]

HIV is not transmitted from clothing, no, not even if the bikini was dripping with HIV+ blood -- a circumstance which I very much doubt.

Ann made the most important point to you which is that as standard procedure any pregnant woman should be tested for HIV as early on in pregnancy as possible.

For future reference, the only real risk for HIV transmission sexually is via unprotected vaginal and anal intercourse. As long as any guy you're with uses a condom everytime then you are well protected.
All the other risks sexually are strictly theoretical. And HIV is not passed from clothing, food, environmental surfaces, doorknobs, scissors in a beauty parlor and any of the other such surfaces people seem to worry about.