Extremely worried

[Worried257]

Last night, a man who is hiv positive was talking and some of his spit got into my eye.  I am extremely worried about this. Should I go to the Dr?

[Jeff G]

Last night, a man who is hiv positive was talking and some of his spit got into my eye.  I am extremely worried about this. Should I go to the Dr?

Hiv is transmitted from unprotected vaginal and anal sex , from sharing drug injection equipment with an infected person or from mother to child during childbirth .

You didn't have a risk , no one has ever been infected from spit in the eye and you will not be the first .

[Worried257]

I was worried about it because I seen online that a man was charged with aggravated assault for spitting on an officer.

[Jeff G]

I was worried about it because I seen online that a man was charged with aggravated assault for spitting on an officer.

There are lots of criminalization laws based on fear and myth about the way HIV is transmitted . We deal in peer reviewed science as a basis for the information we give out . If you had a risk we would have not hesitated to tell you so that you could get tested and protect your health and the health of others . 

[Worried257]

So you do not see any need for testing at 3 months?

[Jeff G]

So you do not see any need for testing at 3 months?

You do not need to test over this specific incidence but unless you are sure you are in a mutually monogamous relationship , 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.

Again , you cant get aids from spit in the eye .

[Worried257]

What if he had some blood in his spit? I don't know the guy at all so I don't know if he has good/bad dental hygiene. I do know he has HIV though because that's what we were talking about when his spit hit my eye.

[Andy Velez]

Listen you can obsess about this if you want to, but you weren't at risk. Period. Saliva has a dozen elements and proteins in in which very effectively prevent the transmission of viable HIV.

You are not at risk from this incident. Period. And there is no need for testing. Now stop creating a lot of drama needlessly. Get on with your life. Period.

[Ann]

Worried,

Unless you repeatedly punched this person in the mouth before he spit on you, there could not possibly be enough blood present to cause the least bit of concern.

Not only is saliva not infectious, but it also contains over a dozen different proteins and enzymes that damage hiv and render it unable to infect.

There's no way, NO WAY, you get infected with hiv by someone getting a little of their spit in your eye during a conversation.

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 HIV AFTER GETTING SPIT IN YOUR EYE, 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

[Worried257]

Well isn't there a number of people who have contracted HIV and have no idea how? So what if some them acquired it in this manner? I just can't get over the fact that HIV+ oral fluid entered my eye, which is a mucous membrane. I'm sorry, but I feel nervous and sick over this.

[Ann]

Worried,

If you want to worry and fret your life away over a NO RISK situation, go right ahead. Just don't think you'll be able to use this forum as a place to go on and on about it.

If you can't bring yourself to believe us when we tell you that you had no risk, continue to fret and worry for three months, then go test and collect your negative result. Unless you've been having unprotected anal or vaginal intercourse with persons of unknown hiv status, that's exactly the result you'll get.

If you read the 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

[Worried257]

I'm not coming on here to obsess, I'm just letting you know that the ER gave me Lamivudine and Viread for PEP

[Andy Velez]

OK, duly noted. Based on experience with other VERY WORRIEDs, my guess is they gave it to you simply because you were so stressed. The facts as reported by you do not warrant your taking PEP. But now you have it, get it done, get tested and collect the inevitable negative result is my evaluation of the situation.

[jkinatl2]

Well isn't there a number of people who have contracted HIV and have no idea how? So what if some them acquired it in this manner? I just can't get over the fact that HIV+ oral fluid entered my eye, which is a mucous membrane. I'm sorry, but I feel nervous and sick over this.

Simply put, no. he mechanisms of HiV transmission are very well understood.

And now that you are on PEP for a no risk situstion, you have given yourerlf four months of further worry. You have also insulted those of us who are HIV positive by assuming that our saliva is contagious - key word, that.


HIV is not a contagious disease. It is an infectious disease. It is spread through blood, semen, and cervical fluids. It is spread through unprotected anal and vaginal sex. It is NOT a contagious disease, like the flu. Were that the case, humanity would have been thoroughly infected by now.

Your bizarre obsession with HIV through spit is perpetuating stigma against HIV. It's mindsets like yours that cause people with HIV to be denied housing, denied decent medical care, denied friendships and affection.

According to your twisted logic, a person who is HIV positive who shares a beverage should be accused of attempted murder. Offering a mate a bite from one's fork would be tantamount to attempted infection. A sloppy kiss on New Year's Eve would be an assault.

Words fail me whebn describing the utter and comp[lete idiocy, prejudice, and seething phobia behind your reprehensible attitude. I am sure some poor hapless ER attendant gace you PEP in order to get you out of his or her face.

You are likely to experience side effect from these meds. You are not liekly to experience further sympathy from this forum.

You sir, are why people are afraid to test, afraid to disclose, and afraid to live with a completely treatable disease. A better iteneration of myself would feel pity for you. I am, however, not that enlightened at this particular moment.