Unsure about these day to day situations.

[AkiTiukka]

Hello,

Thank you for this forum and for your great work and help here!

I think I'm informed about the routes to acquiring HIV, but I'm again and again unsure about two cases and would appreciate your opinion.

1. Mucous membranes:
Is there a transmission risk (except the direct sexual intercourse) from some (optionally infected) fluids / spilling that get onto a musculous membrane?
A current situation that bothers me: A shower cabin in a shared bath of a camping facility. When entering such a cabin directly after another guy everything is wet there of course...I know it´s surely water and some soap foam too, but suppose the guy before masturbated and I grab some sperm of him incidentally and then I touch my penis glans with the same hand?
Is it a HIV-risk?...and when I touch the inside of my nose with its mucous membrane or the eye with this hand/finger...?

2: Vacuum
It is said that HIV-viruses can remain active in a vacuum: Does this only refer to containers with a substance that offers virus-friendly conditions, the right PH values etc like stored blood in laboratory conditions?...
What about general day to day vacuum containers: A vacuum packaging without any liquid / with oil / with meat or a vacuum pack with a cosmetic product inside...for example a cream, which after opening is applied to the body (including mucous membranes)?...If such products were contaminated with some infected blood (I know, it´s more hypothetically, for example an accident in the production) , would they pose an infection risk? Probably it seems exaggerated, but I would like to understand ....
...and what about vacuum packed frozen food?

Both situations happen again and again in everyday life and I have doubts about whether I should be worried about them (like I do at the moment about the described shower case).

Thank you very much in advance!

[leatherman]

None of those hypotheticals are HIV transmission routes because of changes in PH, air, temp, etc when HIV is outside the body.

Here's how to be sure:
HIV is transmitted through unprotected anal/vaginal sex
or by sharing hypodermic needles.

Have a great day,
Michael

Reducing Your HIV risks:
With no exceptions, use condoms correctly and consistently for anal or vaginal intercourse
Talk to a healthcare provider about PrEP as another layer of protection

Get tested yearly for HIV and other STIs.
If you don’t use condoms and/or PrEP, test more frequently

Some sexual practices described as safe in terms of acquiring HIV still pose a risk for other more easily acquired STIs. It is possible to show no signs or symptoms from an STI so testing is the only way to know.

Get tested at least yearly for STIs, including but not limited to HIV, and more frequently if condomless intercourse occurs.

What’s the ONLY way to know if you’ve been infected by HIV or an STI?
Get tested.


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[AkiTiukka]

Thank you very much for your answer, Michael.
Best,
Aki

[AkiTiukka]

Hello,
So can it be said in general (not only for the described shower-case):

-that mucous membranes like glans are possible HIV infection routes only in a direct sexual discourse but some infectious fluids which get indirectly on them (from the hand or a towel etc) are not a real risk?

-that the "vacuum-option" has no relevance as a HIV route in day to day life...when opening a vacuum sealed raw steak or canned food or an ointment?

Please excuse these additional "in general"-questions...It´s perhaps already a little paranoid from my side...
Thank you very much!
Aki

[Jim Allen]

This falls under asked and answered; you just have to take the time to read Michael's reply to your questions.

-that mucous membranes like glans are possible HIV infection routes only in a direct sexual discourse but some infectious fluids which get indirectly on them (from the hand or a towel etc) are not a real risk?

No, you are not going to get HIV from picking your nose or any other orifice on your body.

HIV is fragile and limited in how it's sexually acquired; it's acquired inside the confines of the human body, meaning not being exposed outside the confines of the body, like during condomless intercourse. Once exposed outside the body, the receptors needed to infect corrode, and this is one of the many reasons why mucous membrane concerns are not HIV risks.

-that the "vacuum-option" has no relevance as a HIV route in day to day life...when opening a vacuum sealed raw steak or canned food or an ointment?

What "vacuum option"? How do you think the ointment or food you are concerned about goes into the can/jars? It's not like they produce this stuff in outer space. It's in contact with the environment before getting into the can or jar and again when you open it... 

But even for argument's sake, let's say these products were produced in some factory from start to finish, including end packaging in some near-perfect vacuum environment, HIV would still not remain infectious long enough even in those conditions for it to be an issue when reaching the end customer, you would still not live in a vacuum when opening the product, and you would still lack any of the other biological and environmental conditions needed including route to acquire HIV.

I'm not sure if you have some phobia about HIV, but if you do, I recommend you talk to a therapist.