POZ Community Forums
HIV Prevention and Testing => Do I Have HIV? => Topic started by: Dude on August 17, 2006, 06:22:09 pm
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It says on the lessons page
"You are a health care worker who's had a work-related accident such as direct exposure to blood or have been stuck with a needle or other object."
On a way that you can get infected, so I was wondering what was the difference between a health care worker getting blood in a mucous membrane and just a normal person in a normal getting blood in a mucous membrane from another person...
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Dude,
We don't really deal in hypothetical questions here. If you are worried about something specific, we can't help unless you tell us what it is.
The difference between a health care worker and anyone else is the fact that a health care worker would be much more likely to come into contact with sufficient levels of blood needed to pose even a remote threat. Its rare for health care workers to become infected through their work.
Ann
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How much blood is enough to pose a threat? Just worried some blood might have got in my eye but not 100 percent because you know how your eye reacts with stuff that might touch it (eye lid shuts very fast) so yeah how much blood is enough?
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Dude,
You would have to get so much blood into your eye that there would be no doubt that you got blood in your eye. It would be all over your face.
Ann
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Thank you for the reassurance, you all do such a great job here and I wish you all, all of the best in the future. :)
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Is it possible for HIV to survive in a frozen ice lolly type thing? I had one today and noticed some blood in it just before I took a bite so I may have swallowed some blood if their was more before hand. The container was a plastic tube with a little bit at the top that you have to bite off and then you suck the juice out. So can HIV live in frozen water.... I also have a mouth ulcer on my tongue, would that make a difference....
Thank you
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Dude,
I've merged your new thread into your original thread - where you should post all your additional thoughts or questions. It helps us to help you when you keep all your additional thoughts or questions in one thread.
If you need help finding your thread when you come here, click on the "Show own posts" link under your name in the left-hand column of any forum page.
Please also read through the Welcome Thread (http://forums.poz.com/index.php?topic=220.0) so you can familiarize yourself with our Forum Posting Guidelines. Thank you for your cooperation.
When you read through the Welcome Thread (http://forums.poz.com/index.php?topic=220.0), make sure you click on the Transmission Lesson link so you can understand better how hiv is and is not transmitted. Hiv is a fragile, difficult to transmit virus that is primarily transmitted successfully INSIDE the human body, as in unprotected anal or vaginal intercourse. Hiv is NOT transmitted under environmental circumstances and it certainly does not survive in a transmittable form in ice. You will not become infected with hiv via food. NO WAY.
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 STIs together. To agree to have unprotected intercourse is to consent to the possibility of being infected with a sexually transmitted infection.
Have a look through the condom and lube links in my signature line so you can use condoms with confidence. Use condoms and you will avoid hiv infection. It really is that simple.
Ann
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Hey all, last night I was beaten badly in a fight, heavy bleeding etc needed 9 stitches to my chin thats how bad it was.
Anyway unless the other guys were bleeding heavily too is there any chance of infection? Or would they have had to stab me with a needle?
Thanks
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Dude,
My first bit of advice to you is to pick fights you can win.
That said, I don't see any cause for concern over HIV from this incident. Yes, yes, I know there was blood and stitches and all that, but I still don't see any HIV risk.
Please re-read our Welcome Thread (http://forums.poz.com/index.php?topic=220.0) to learn about how HIV is and is not transmitted.
MtD
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Well I didn't pick any fight at all.... I was jumped for no reason by five guys for "hitting their girlfriend" even though I would NEVER hit a woman.
Sorry just a bit of background info :D
Anyway thanks, feel a bit better after 9 stitches in my chin and 3 on the inside of my mouth, just wish the criminal system in the UK was a bit better...
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Dude, go back and reread the "Welcome" thread. It seems that you didn't learn anything the first time you read it, if you did at all.
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Okay so even if their was bleeding from them into this wound that needed stitches nothing would happen regarding transmission of HIV?
Sorry to be repetitive.
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Leave the "even if" out of it. So far the transmisson of HIV via cuts have never happened outside the Health Care field.
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So whats the difference between this and a health care setting? And does that count for such a cut that stitches are needed?
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Dude, you didn't have a risk. I know you know what a Health Care setting is. You received stitches didn't you? You didn't have them put in, in barn now did you? The place where you went is called a Health Care setting. Now do you understand?
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Yes, I know what you mean, but I meant it in the way as what is the difference between me getting beaten up and blood in a cut or a healthcare person getting blood in their cut?
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They know the person is HIV positive. You don't know if the other person was bleeding or if they are positive. There has never been anyone infecting through fighting, not even in sport fighting.
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So how does them knowing that they are positive make it less likely? Sorry if you think I'm being cheeky, but I would just like to get all of the facts straight.
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When a Healthcare worker has a possible exposure the patient is automatically tested for HIV if the patient doesn't know their status. In 25 years of HIV, they have only had 57 positives from exposure in the U.S.. Now if you want to test, knock yourself out and collect your negative result.
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Sorry again, but how can it be possible in a healthcare situation but not outside it...... I just don't get it...
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Just go test and collect your negative result. You don't even know if the other person was bleeding and you don't know what their status was. That's the big difference.
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But your pretty sure its low risk? Even if blood did go in would it be low risk?
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Okay kinda freaked out
Man_Apart just sent me this
I am not tryin to scare u, but there is a guy who got infected due to a fight, here is a link to teh case http://www.healingwell.com/community/default.aspx?f=6&m=518837 he is also a forum moderator on the hiv forum on healingwell.com
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Dude,
Ignore Man-apart. He's in no position to give advice on this forum and he's very close to getting a time out if he doesn't stop abusing the PM facility here. No kidding.
You didn't have a risk of hiv infection during a street brawl. Period. End of story.
Ann
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Okay, thank you, I think its just all the stress that has been put on me with all of this happening its just piling up you know?
So even if one of them did bleed into my wound that needd 9 stitches their would be no risk? Just to get this cleared up once and for all. Even if one of them had a cut on his hand and the cut on his hand that was bleeding touched my 9 stitches wound? Thank you.
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Man_Apart, does not know anything about HIV infection and has no business giving assessments on this forum, PMing or other wise. If you want to believe that post man_apart alluded to, let me sell you some swamp land in Florida. You will find denialists everywhere if you want to look. Now if you want to freak out about every thing you read, that is your decision. Nothing is stopping you from testing 13 weeks past what you think was a possible exposure and collecting your negative result. I see no reason to continue with this no risk situation.
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Yeah sorry to bring this up again but getting a bit panicky....
IF x persons blood got into my wound with stitches and x was HIV positive, what would the odds be of me getting HIV?
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We don't work on odds. If you are panicking over this issue, go test 13 weeks past the time you think you got exposed.
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But your pretty sure it will be negative?
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Dude like I said in my previous post. Just go test at 13 weeks after what you think was a possible exposure and get your results. I'm not going to keep answering questions on this subject, which began with a "what if."
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Ann can I please ask your opinion on the question of the likelyhood of someone getting HIV if a persons blood got into their cut which needed stitches? They definatly weren't bleeding as bad as me but if they had a cut and it touched mine and blood got in, what would the odds of the getting HIV be?
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Dude,
Zero chance. A cut that has stitches already in place would be healed enough already to not worry about.
The ONLY time cut to cut bleeding MIGHT be a risk - and a very negligable risk at that - would be if two people were deeply cut AT THE SAME TIME and copious amounts of hiv contaminated blood was introduced into the DEEP cut of the other person. This doesn't happen in real life - I think there's been one case in over 25 years and that case involved an emergency worker at the scene of a horrific accident.
Stop with these far fetched scenarios. Wear condoms for anal or vaginal intercourse and you will avoid hiv infection. Period, end of story. It really is that simple.
Ann
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No this was before it got stitches I was talking about. Like if there blood got into it when it was open ?
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What is classified as a deep cut?
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Dude,
How long is a piece of string?
As I said, stop with the far-fetched scenarios. You're not going to be the first person infected through a street brawl.
We cannot help you with your over the top hiv anxiety here, you need to see someone face-to-face - ie counseling or therapy. If it takes giving you a time out to encourage you to get the appropriate help for yourself, then so be it. Please consider yourself warned.
Ann
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Okay, I get the picture, but just to state that when I was attacked they beat me so bad that i had a cut that needed nine sitches, so my worry was that they may have bled into that.
Just to state that is my fear and not a fight after i had stitches...
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Dude,
I do not have any doubt that you were not infected with hiv during a street brawl. However, if YOU have doubts, go test and let the negative results speak for themselves. Can't say fairer than that.
Ann
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Sorry to bring this up again but....
I had cuts in my mouth that required 3 stitches and various lumps where I had been cut, I also had a mouth ulcer and possible gum disease and plus my lips were all crusty due to bleeding,
so basically would it take the same amount of blood for the cut with stitches outside of the body as it would for the cuts inside of my mouth one of which was as bad to become infected...
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Dude,
I do not have any doubt that you were not infected with hiv during a street brawl. However, if YOU have doubts, go test and let the negative results speak for themselves. Can't say fairer than that.
Ann
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Dude why is it you didn't mention anything about stitches in your mouth. You said you had nine stitches on your chin. Now do you know what I'm thinking?
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No what are you thinking?
Yeah I just forgot to mention it, does it change anything?
I have them in both places one hundred percent honest, sorry I didnt mention it before...
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Dude,
No, it does not change a single thing. Not one person has ever become infected in this manner and you certainly won't be the first.
Ann
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Not that I am worrying about it much but can I enquire about these.... the first one seems obvious but not the second....
http://www.aidsmap.com/cms1006942.asp#1006952
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I don't see where there is any scientific proof in those stories. They are taking their information from a victim or family member perspective.
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So you lot don't think I need to test except for peace of mind?
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No, I don't think you need to test. It's your money if you want to test to get your negative results go ahead.
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OK. It's time to call a halt here. You have repeatedly been told you were not at risk. Just because you have a new burst of anxiety doesn't change the facts of the situation.
You were not at risk for HIV transmission in this incident. If you're going to obsess about the subject then get tested at 13 weeks and collect the inevitable negative result.
This is not an HIV situation. Please don't come back with another variation on the same question. We're not going to be telling you anything diffrent.
Get a grip and get on with your life. No kidding.