Author Topic: Please help experts! (Read 7848 times)

arabi · « **on:** September 15, 2006, 07:24:00 pm »

Hi everyone! Im a 15 years old girl, the question im about to make could sound really dumb, but im a bit worried and just want to make sure I dont need an HIV test.

I was in a boutique (in one of those rooms where you can try on clothes, no idea how you call it in english) I tried on several clothes, anyways I looked up the ceiling and I noticed there was a paper with blood stainds, seemed fresh, no idea how long they had been there though. The paper was on a kind of "net" you know not really a ceiling so I could see it well. It was more like a napkin someone put there. Anyways, about 30 minutes after that I was eating, I moved my hair back a bit then I felt something feel into my eye, very annoying, I couldnt check what it was because in that moment I was at a restaurant, I closed my eye several times and that sensation was gone. After I left the restaurant I checked my eye, but I didnt see anything strange.

My question is... would it be a risk if some of that blood I saw earlier fell on my hair? if a particle of semi-dry blood fell on my hair then on my eye? Do I need to get tested?

My mother keeps telling me that couldnt happen, but I just wanted to ask the experts.

Thanks,
Kahlilah

RapidRod · « **Reply #1 on:** September 15, 2006, 07:32:35 pm »

You don't need an HIV test. Your mother is correct.

arabi · « **Reply #2 on:** September 15, 2006, 10:00:22 pm »

Thank you very much Rod!

arabi · « **Reply #3 on:** September 16, 2006, 02:33:43 am »

Hey, Ive one more question

I forgot to mention that next day after this, in the morning, I used a napkin on my eye and I noticed something dark black-redish (blood-like) on the napkin, I felt a bit paranoic. That day I washed my eye several times, because I had the sensation that it was in some way "dirty" or something (i also have the ugly mania of rubbing my eyes). My question is, if what i described before in this thread did happen, am I not at risk, concidering all this? Another thing, I had a laser eye surgery ( 8 months ago), I had some complications during the surgery
does that pose any risk? I mean if I have contact with other body fluids like semen, blood, etc, do I have more chances to get infected? is 8 months enough time for my corneas to heal?

Sorry if I repeat myself, I just suddenly started to think of this details. I really dont mean to be annoying and repetitive, so beforehand so sorry if I am being like that

I in fact had to do a lot thinking before posting here!

Kahlilah

RapidRod · « **Reply #4 on:** September 16, 2006, 06:22:29 am »

No, you weren't at risk even with the spins you are putting on it.

Andy Velez · « **Reply #5 on:** September 16, 2006, 09:56:45 am »

Kahlilah, you are hanging around on the slippery slope of HIV whatifs. It's not a good place to be and it has no basis in HIV science although your mind can really get going on this stuff.

You'd be much better off (re)reading the lesson on HIV transmission on this site. There's a link to it in the first thread in this section. You will find all the information there that you need to protect your health.

As a young person you may be wondering about sexual matters in general and things you hear about HIV can be very scary. As long as you consistently follow safer sex guidelines you can protect your health and spare yourself the kind of unnecessary worrying you are putting yourself through right now.

You have nothing to be concerned about in relation to this recent incident. Period.

Cheers,

arabi · « **Reply #6 on:** September 17, 2006, 02:19:51 pm »

Thank you Andy and Rod! Andy: I will try to educate myself the best way I can; I already read the lessons. I have also read some posts here in the forum.

Andy: if Im not even sexually active and if im not a health care worker/or an IV user, means im safe?
Because Im none of those three; 1) I dont use any kind of drugs, not even drink. 2) I have NEVER been sexually active, because my religion forbiddens pre-marriage sex and all related to that, like dating (oh and my parents are very very strict and harsh). 3) Im not exposed to risky situations, like the health care workers.

Thanks, and I cant leave without saying that you all have been really helpful, and I say it honestly! Ive read several posts already, and I must say Its a great labour what youre doing, you give/donate your own time for this and I admire that (Ive also read some of your blogs today) helping people with their doubts, giving the best advice you can, trying to make understand some people like me that they worry for nothing (though we can be very annoying sometimes hehe) Ohh and thanks for being so patient with me =) and sorry for my not so good english.

Good luck to all those who are getting tested soon, God bless you.

Thanks you so much,

Kahlilah

arabi · « **Reply #7 on:** September 21, 2006, 10:57:57 pm »

Hi people, could someone please tell me, is a 11 weeks test reliable? Im talking about a test I had in the past some months ago due another incident.

RapidRod · « **Reply #8 on:** September 21, 2006, 11:02:31 pm »

It would be reliable to the risk you had 11 months ago.

arabi · « **Reply #9 on:** September 21, 2006, 11:08:00 pm »

Thanks rod! So does that mean I dont need more testing? Because I just waited 11 weeks instead of 12-13 weeks, does 1 week or 2 make any difference?

Thanks,

RapidRod · « **Reply #10 on:** September 21, 2006, 11:10:52 pm »

One or two week variance is not going to make a difference in your result.

arabi · « **Reply #11 on:** September 21, 2006, 11:13:46 pm »

Thank you so much! Thats a big relief!

arabi · « **Reply #12 on:** March 16, 2007, 11:40:01 am »

It's a long time I don't come here, and am so so sorry am back. I just turned to 16 this year and I haven't had any kind of sexual activity, my questions are related to another things. I'm sorry if my question might sound too dumb or paranoic but I really have to ask because is causing me a lot anxiety and I could barely sleep last night...

Yesterday I was on a plane, I had been traveling for very long so I was increibly tired, anyways the air hostess brought some of those snacks they usually give you, this time was a salad in a plastic container. What worries me is, when the air hostess was giving us that, one of the containers lids slided up and opened on the airhostes hand and I felt something splashed my left eye but in that moment I didn't think of it until later. After some minutes I started to feel something strange in that eye, like teary and was hurting and itching a bit, but I didn't wash it until I got home (like 7 or 8 hours later.
Suddenly I started to think, what if the airhostess cut herself with that lid and that thing that splashed me were small particles/drops of her blood or something? I know this sound stupid for many, once I got a small cut while opening one of those plastic containers

what if that same happened when the lid of that container slided up on the hand of the airhostess and that splash I felt in my eye was actually small blood particles/drop of her blood ? shall i get tested??

am so sorry if this sound so dumb, but is causing me a lot anxiety, please, any expert help will be greatly appreciated!

Andy Velez · « **Reply #13 on:** March 16, 2007, 11:57:35 am »

This is all about totally unfounded what ifs. There's absolutely no basis in HIV science to regard this concern as a serious one in terms of HIV transmission.

Read the lesson on Transmission on this site. There's a link to it in the Welcome thread which opens this section.

You're indulging in very fanciful stuff to frighten yourself with needlessly. This is not an HIV situation which can in any way be taken seriously. Really. No kidding.

arabi · « **Reply #14 on:** March 17, 2007, 11:47:16 am »

Thanks a lot Andy! but I still have a doubt... (last question, I promise) Why it cannot be considered a risk in case there was blood involved? I just have that doubt, thanks!

Andy Velez · « **Reply #15 on:** March 17, 2007, 12:52:20 pm »

This is all about what ifs. We don't deal with what ifs. In the incident you conjectured up in your mind you created a problem where none had existed.

So we're not talking about a real situation here.

Get on with your life and stop spending time and energy on something that hasn't even happened. No kidding.

RapidRod · « **Reply #16 on:** March 17, 2007, 12:52:49 pm »

As you have been told, you didn't have a risk. If you are going to fear HIV, with everything that happens in life you need to seek out a mental health professional to help you deal with it.

arabi · « **Reply #17 on:** March 18, 2007, 10:44:30 am »

thanks rod, I was thinking to do that and I will surely do it.

arabi · « **Reply #18 on:** May 31, 2007, 01:58:44 pm »

Thanks everyone for reading. I had been here before asking questions about nonsexual related incidents unlike most posts here. I must say I don't feel pleased of coming back and ask more and more, I've indeed learnt to controll my fear and been seen a therapist. I've seen some progress, some incidents have happened in last months that would normaly stress me much, but they don't anymore... of course until now, but even so am not as worried as I'd be in past. This is a long post, so your help and patient is highly appreciated! My incident and possible risk:

3 days ago I went to the dentist, a new one, she found out there was something wrong with my gums, then she (not sure of the right word in english) removed some tissue of my gums (after using anaesthesia of course) a lot blood cloths came out (she had a medical term for them: bag-something - and sorry for the gross details!) Also that same day she found out one of my molars was broken... she said i needed a replacement so she made a mold of them with a special paste and one of those molds that dentists put in your mouth to print the marks of your teeth. She did it in total 3 times, 2 times in my upper teeth and 1 in my lower ones. Anyways as she was letting me with that mold in my mouth for veeery long I noted that the work done that same day in my gums was provoking a some bleeding that I could even feel the taste.

Anyways yesterday I had to go back to get my new metal replacement for my broken molar.. what worries me is... since the first visit, I noted this dentist is also attending her own phramacy, no one helping her... so everytime a client came in the pharmacy she just left me there waiting. She seemed a person who wants to do more than what she really can... in that moment she seemed in a big hurry to finish soon since she told me she still had to prepare food and picking her daughter up from school.

She doesn't seem very professional... Also I noted that she has a mess in the room where she attends the patients... a lot medicine boxes... instruments she used previously on patients freely lying on a towel, the molds she uses summerged just in jar with chlorine (I asked her) that doesn't even have a lid. Also she's very rough with her treat to the patients... she's not careful at all, opening my mouth way too much... it looked more like she wanted to see if her hand fited well in my mouth; she hurted me more than the works she did in my mouth.

That first visit also I noted she wasn't careful on where she put the things, for example the molds she'd later use on me... she put them too close to that instruments she had used before, too close but I didn't look much. What worries me is she might have been distracted, because that day she had to leave the room several times to attend her pharmacy. I noted she has a non orthodox way to clean her molds... soon after she used that molds in my mouth, she removed some of the paste left of the previous try (because first one failed to print) she did it with a... guess what??? a needleless syringe!!! yes! that seemed to have been used several times for that same purpose. I saw her with my own eyes removing the paste leftovers of the mold holes, then using it on me again. Maybe am overeacting, but this simple details made me think she's not a good dentist.

On this second visit, as soon as I came in the room, I noted that in the tray where the dentists put all the instruments they are using in you, there still were some of the things she had used with the previous patient... a needle (am sure that needle was of the previous patient, because this time she didn't use any anaesthesia on me, so no need of a needle to be there) and gloves. I know it was trash because the gloves looked smeared with that special paste that dentist use for making molds. I also saw one more instrument in the tray... don't know name in english though (it's that instrument that has a pointy tip that go round and is used to remove cavities.) Not sure if she switched for another one. I must mention that she even strike that instrument against my gum and inner cheek by mistake, which I inmediately could feel since she didn't use any anaesthesia for that work. I even saw some teeth molds just like mine (freely lying on a desk)

Anyways in any moment I saw her removing that used needle from the tray... only the gloves not so sure when or if she threw away tho $:-\$ I might have missed some details... but she seemed hurry this time also she had some people waiting. Also something I noted on the 2 visits is that at times she didn't use gloves or only on one hand while she was working on me. What it worries me is that most time she is distracted (don't say that being a dentist and attending a pharmacy can't be a distraction!) I've heard of many medical mistakes made my absence-minded people, and when i think of that it scares me.

Am I at risk??? Bearing in mind all the possible scenarios that might have taken place with all the details I described??? This might sound stupid but.... what if she used the same gloves or something?? and if the instrument that striked against my gum/inner check was same she used with previous patient?

Was I at risk if the molds she used for taking print of my teeth were in contact with that dirty instruments?

To be honest... I don't see this last one as an ''if'' situation.. I really don't recall having seen her to change that instrument. Because she had been very busy that day also attending pharmacy clients and also other people. Which worries me a bit. Please keep that in mind there's a chance that might have really happened when you reply. Also keep in mind that all/most of the details are accurate; I really saw the mold near that dirty instruments (not sure how close but quite close -that detail not clear-) the trash in the tray, I really was striked by an instrument twice, etc.

Sorry for the long post, but I tried to give all the details or at least most of what I can recall... sorry if it looks like too much, but I tried to explain my incident the most clear and best possible. Also sorry if some questions are plain stupid.

K.F.A
Thanks.

ACinKC · « **Reply #19 on:** May 31, 2007, 04:19:48 pm »

No risk. Is the short and sweet answer to your very long post.

Andy Velez · « **Reply #20 on:** May 31, 2007, 04:56:15 pm »

ABSOLUTELY NO RISK FOR HIV TRANSMISSION IN WHAT YOU ARE REPORTING. PERIOD. END OF STORY.

Keep seeing your therapist. This is all about your fears and feelings and has nothing to do with anything based in HIV science. Really.

Cheers,

arabi · « **Reply #21 on:** June 03, 2007, 04:50:32 pm »

I'm really trying hard to stop having this irrational fears, I was diagnosed with OCD, since then I started going to a therapist. I'm too young for living with fear always, I'm much better now... before going to therapy i was afraid of the sole act of touching anything or anyone!!!! Finally the anxiety is much less, the list of fears is becoming almost insignificant. Now I see back and realize how irrational all that was.

Thank you very much both!! specially you Andy!!!

Andy Velez · « **Reply #22 on:** June 03, 2007, 06:26:21 pm »

You're welcome. I'm glad you found our exchanges to be helpful.

Keep working with your therapist so that you can be freed of the torture of OCD. Good luck to you.

Cheers,

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Author Topic: Please help experts! (Read 7848 times)