POZ Community Forums

HIV Prevention and Testing => Do I Have HIV? => Topic started by: lio10 on November 13, 2006, 02:28:03 am

Title: Skin abrasion question
Post by: lio10 on November 13, 2006, 02:28:03 am

Hello,
I have a concern and found this site. Read the lessons section , but still curious. This isn't a sexual related question. Here it is:

I wrestled in college and still do so today. It's not uncommon to get abrasions and rug burn type scrapes.
This never bothered me before , but a week ago the skin on the bottom of my toe was peeled off. No bleeding or stinging. Anyways, person I was wrestling got a bloody nose. Some blood dripped on the mat. It was wiped but I'm not sure if I might have stepped on or contacted it with my toe. Of course now these worrying thought linger on my mind.

Well, this is something I would like to know , even for future reference: unbroken skin is a good barrier but if just a thin outer layer is peeled off, is it still a good barrier agains HIV ? 

Thanks

Title: Re: Skin abrasion question
Post by: Ann on November 13, 2006, 04:52:04 am

lio,

Yes, under the circumstances you describe, the skin is still an excellent barrier against hiv infection.

Add to that the fact that hiv does not remain viable and able to infect when outside the human body, and you have no risk. Hiv is a fragile, difficult to transmit virus that is primarily transmitted INSIDE the human body, as in unprotected anal or vaginal intercourse. Small changes in moisture content, pH levels and temperature all quickly damage the outer surface of hiv and render it unable to infect.

Ann

Title: Re: Skin abrasion question
Post by: lio10 on November 13, 2006, 09:52:43 pm

Thanks for the answer.

So even the live exposed epidermis is a good barrier.