Worried about blood through sports.

[NervousNick]

Hey guys, im new to this and i just wanna say you are doing a great job here. Me and my friends have our own boxing league. A week ago i was having a fight and some fairly large cuts on my face reopened and began to bleed. During the fight my opponet got the upperhand and took me to the ground and beat me. When he was punching me this really bad cut under his eye was basicly gushing blood onto my face. it was dripping all on my cuts and some even got in my eyes and mouth. Now, im worried that if he was infected this put me at risk. I personally dont see how this isnt a risk, i mean it was dripping right into my cuts and eyes. Am i at risk do i need to test? i mean they stop sports all the time for blood it must be for a reason.

[Andy Velez]

Bleeding happens in all sorts of sports and not just boxing. But HIV is a fragile virus. It is not easily passed along in the manner you are concerned about. If that were so we would have known about it long before your incident.

I recommend that you read our lesson on Transmission which covers all of the basics. You can reach it through a link in the thread which opens this section.

From street brawls to boxing to other sports, I have never known of a confirmed case of transmission in such a manner. I don't expect you to make history by becoming the first. And I don't see any need for you to get tested over this.

[NervousNick]

I dont see how this isnt a risk.  I mean they stop sports all the time for blood and how is getting someones blood in your eye or open wound not a risk.

[Ann]

Nick,

Hiv isn't the only blood-borne illness out there and most of the others are MUCH more easily transmitted than hiv. We're lucky that hiv is a very fragile, difficult to transmit virus that has NEVER, EVER, been transmitted during sports where blood has been shed.

Like Andy, I don't expect you to be the first.

If you're worried about other blood-borne illnesses, see your doctor. We only concentrate on hiv here.

Ann

[NervousNick]

I definitley plan on getting checked for other viruses. I know you get tired of ppl asking the same questions i just dont see how this isnt a risk. please explain it to me. How can blood being directly dripped into someones eye or open wound not be infectious? say im infected, i cut my finger and squeeze my infected blood onto someones eyeball or open wound. how is that not risky?

[NervousNick]

Anybody?

[NervousNick]

Please Help

[NervousNick]

It says right there in your welcome thread on transmission you can get hiv through open cutes or sores and that your eye is a mucuse membrane that leads right to your blood stream. now yall are telling me i cant get infected this way.

[Ann]

Nick,

Those are only theoretical infection routes. In real life, hiv transmission and infection just doesn't happen that way. Hiv can only infect a very few, very specific cell types and these types of cells are not found in the upper layers of skin or on the surface of the eye. Not only that, but hiv is a very fragile, difficult to transmit virus. Once it finds itself outside the human body, small changes in temperature, and pH and moisture levels all quickly damage the virus and render it unable to infect. Hiv is primarily transmitted INSIDE the human body, as in unprotected anal or vaginal intercourse where the virus never leaves the confines and protection of the two bodies and where there is an abundance of the correct types of cells.

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

Once again, hiv has never been transmitted as a result of blood being shed during a sporting event. You are not going to make history.

If you cannot put this incident behind you, go test at the appropriate time and collect your negative result. (assuming you ALWAYS use condoms for anal or vaginal intercourse, which ARE actually risks for hiv infection, unlike what you're worried about.)

If you read the whole Welcome Thread before posting like you're supposed to, you will have read the following posting guideline:

Anyone who continues to post excessively, questioning a conclusive negative result or no-risk situation, will be subject to a four week Time Out (a temporary ban from the Forums). If you continue to post excessively after one Time Out, you may be given a second Time Out which will last eight weeks. There is no third Time Out - it is a permanent ban. The purpose of a Time Out is to encourage you to seek the face-to-face help we cannot provide on this forum.

Please consider yourself warned!

Ann

[NervousNick]

Hi im back with a new worry. it does not pretain to my previous posts so i dont think im violating my warning. about 3 years ago when i was still living at home i had unprotected sex with a girl which put me at risk of hiv. my mother did not want to hear of of it. she kept insisting there was no way i was infected with hiv and said she wouldnt take me to get tested. she finally gave in and said she contacted the local health clinic and they said she needed to draw my blood and put it on something white so she put my blood on the top of a pill bottle after she drew it with a small pin. she supposedly took it up there and about 3 or 4 days later they called back and said negative. now, years later i feel this just doesnt sound right. have you guys heard of any test that works like she said? or was just lying to shut me up?

[Ann]

Nick,

No, there is no hiv test that can be performed in that manner. If you've had unprotected intercourse, you've been at risk and you need to test. A test now will be conclusive.

However, since you decided to try for a new acccount to avoid being given a time out, I'm giving you that time out. We take multiple accounts here very seriously. Do not attempt to create yet another new account because if you do, you will be permanently banned.

Ann

[Andy Velez]

No, that does not sound like a credibly professional manner in which to have blood taken for a legitimate HIV test.

Since you say you had unprotected intercourse that means you ought to have an HIV test. It's so long ago that you can do that anytime now. The risk for the insertive partner in unprotected intercourse is lower than for the receptive partner. The likelihood of infection from that single incident in the cirucmstances you have described is low.

Get tested, collect the likely negative result and remove any doubts from your mind. And make sure you are always using condoms now for vaginal or anal intercourse.