Need some education/worried

[jackson10]

Hello, I believe I may be over thinking the situation but none the less am still a little worried. I had gone to the bathroom at work (I work at an office building a bank no medical offices). I went into the stall because I had a pain in my nose. I had a small scab or hard booger not exactly sure what it was (it was very shallow at the base of my septum). I closed and locked the stall door and picked at it. To lock the door is is a small ¾ inch knob that slides to the right to lock. I picked at my nose  and noticed the scab or whatever I picked out had some blood on it. It did not drip or gush out but when I saw the blood I couldn’t help to think I had just touched the door knob on the inside of the stall. I did not notice anything on the door knob or on my finger when I closed or locked the door.  I realize in reading on the net that the virus does not survive long outside its host and it can be contracted in a few specific ways. However I am concerned that in touching the door knob and putting it in my nose (a mucus membrane) that was exposed I could be at risk for contracting the virus. I don’t know what was in the stall before me or how long before. A stated I did not notice anything on the door know. I had gone back to look and only notices some slight fingerprints on the door knob. Thank you for your time.

[Joe K]

Jackson,

HIV is a very fragile virus that does not survive on environmental surfaces, like door knobs, so no risk, besides that is not how HIV is transmitted.

The risk factors for HIV are ...

Sharing IV drug needles immediately after use.
Unprotected anal and vaginal sex.
Mother to child during or shortly after birth.
Very specific healthcare situations.

Use condoms for vaginal and anal sex consistently and correctly and you will avoid HIV infection, it is that simple.

Joe

[jackson10]

I apologize if I post this in the wrong Forum..

Hello I have a question regarding the HIV virus. I believe I had an exposure between eight and ten years ago. At the time I was young and naïve and didn’t think much of it, I thought I was invincible. Within the last year I realized the things I had done in were less than smart. I am getting married and the last thing I want to do is hurt my fiancé. In doing some research online I realize that you can have contacted HIV and show no symptoms for years. Within the last 6 months I took a few oral tests as well as getting a full STI blood panel done by my doctor. All came back negative which were a great relief. My question/concern is can the virus remain dormant in your body? Can it “flare up”? I realize each body reacts differently but is it possible the virus can go dormant or does it immediately attack the immune system once introduced into your body? The oral test suggests that you test 3-6 months after possible exposure I tested well out of the 3-6 month window. I tested negative years after possible exposure and have only had sex with one person since no needles/or drug use. I don’t mean for this question to be ignorant, I am just looking to learn as I feel many people are mis-informed about the facts. I do appreciate your time and I think you offer a great service as well as a great wealth of information….Thank you

[Jeff G]

Please only post in this thread no matter how long between visits or subject matter . You can find this thread by visiting your profile and selecting show own post .

You have tested conclusively HIV negative . If you had HIV it would have shown up on the test by 3 months . Once a person is exposed to HIV they will always test HIV positive except in some cases of advanced severe IV drug use ... shortly before death . It does not apply to you .

Please read your thread and the posting guidelines before you post again . Thanks .

[jackson10]

My apologizes about the miss-posting... thank you for the response

[Jeff G]

You are welcome .

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 did not have a risk and do not need to test for this specific incident , 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!