POZ Community Forums
HIV Prevention and Testing => Do I Have HIV? => Topic started by: melissa123 on May 17, 2012, 12:39:21 pm
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I got a manicure on Sunday at a Vietnamese place. I forgot to bring my own tools so decided to let them use theirs. I saw the lady who did The manicure take the tools out of the uv light sanitizer. However she nipped me while cutting my cuticles in one finger- a very tiny nip but I did bleed. I want to know if the uv light does indeed clean the instruments if someone else used it and there was HIV earlier that day and for how long does it have to be in the uv light machine? Should I get tested for HIV due to this incident? I am so scared and cannot stop thinking about this. Also there was at least ten minutes between when I got there and when she actually used the tools.
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There is absolutely NO WAY to get HIV in the manner you described.
Manicures, barber shops, any environmental surface renders HIV inactive within seconds at most.
You can get HIV from having unprotected vaginal and/or anal sex, and sharing IV drug needles.
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Even if the person before me got cut and was HIV positive and there was blood on the tool and then that same tool with the blood cut me ? That's what I am concerned about. That the blood could have gotten into the cut on my finger...
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Melissa, you are lurking around in "what ifs," which is never a good place to be.
HIV is a fragile virus. It is not passed in the manner you are concerned about nor through nicks at the barber shop or hairdresser's or via food or beverages or toilet sets or other instruments and objects in regular life.
If HIV is present once it is exposed to the air small changes in temperature and pH and mositure levels quickly damage render the virus unable to infect.
Let this go and get on with your life. Really.
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Okay so the event I've described is not possible for HIV transmission even if the cuticle cutter did have blood on it and was not properly sanitized?
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Okay so the event I've described is not possible for HIV transmission even if the cuticle cutter did have blood on it and was not properly sanitized?
Correct. No risk. Get on with your life.
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Okay I understand. But can you please just exPlain to me why there is no risk from a nip when you bleed? I understand HIV becomes inactive but after how long? How also do we know the blood didn't get in my bloodstream? And moreso has anyone ever gotten HIV frOm a manicure? I would just feel better if I understood this. The introduction on transmission says blood to blood can cause HIV transmission that's why I'm freaking out
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There's never been a confirmed case of transmission via a manicure. It's safe to say you will not make history by becoming the first.
Read our lesson on transmission if you want to get better educated on what's risky and what isn't.
You haven't had a risk this time and I am going to warn you that if you continue to come back about this non-risk you may find yourself getting a Time Out from the site. HIV is not your problem. Period.
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Last question. To sanitize this place rinsed the tools with water and then put it in a uv light machine. Is this sufficient to protect against HIV? What if the uv light bulb wasn't changed within six months, or would that not matter due to the virus being dead after 10-15 minutes?
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More what if nonsense that has no relevance whatsoever about HIV.
You were not at risk. Get on with your life. And in the meantime as I warned you, you now have a 28 day Time Out from the site. We're not going to indulge you any further at this point.
Don't make the mistake of trying to get around the Time Out by creating a new account. We'll spot that right off and trying that will get you banned permanently.
Stop this unwarranged nonsense about HIV and get on with your life. Really.