POZ Community Forums
HIV Prevention and Testing => Do I Have HIV? => Topic started by: rentahero on December 08, 2006, 02:30:05 pm
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I’ve been taking a class on culture and illness of pain and we recently talked about HIV. I was tested two years back and negative (I had no suspicion but did it anyways). However now I find myself out of my mind wondering/worrying if I could of contracted HIV threw simple things as toothbrushes and now hookah pipe sharing with friends at hookah bars. Is this clearly irrational thought related to OCD? How much infected “blood” must be transferred via mouth in order to become infected? Websites mention “open sores” in the mouth, but what does this really mean? Does this happen often?
I know these questions may seem silly, but every answer i get from HIV Q&A's aren't really helpful. I need human beings to share my thoughts with. I want to educate myself instead of worrying about everything.
Thank you for your words everyone, this really means a lot.
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The things you are concerned about are not risks for HIV transmission. It's never happened that way and you aren't going to make history by becoming the first to be infected in that manner.
HIV is a fragile virus transmitted in a few limited ways. Please read the lesson on Transmission on this site. You will find a link to it in the Welcome thread which opens this section. Get that down, follow the simple safer sex instructions and you'll do fine.
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Thank you Mr. Velez.
I have read the lesson on transmission, as well as posting guidelines, etc.
I just needed to hear it from a real person for once.
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The things you are concerned about are not risks for HIV transmission. It's never happened that way and you aren't going to make history by becoming the first to be infected in that manner.
Also if that is the case, I think Q&A websites should make more of an effort to let people know that. Also explaining the true science behind why that cannot happen is very helpful and might actually be more powerful as education goes.
Because there is a “theoretical” chance of contracting HIV threw blood in the mouth, kissing, toothbrush, pipes the majority of the quick hiv sites seem to just say “yes, but very low” which I find very discouraging (mentioned on your lesson on transmission). But after reading threw a lot of the threads here, it is my understanding because blood comes in contact with saliva and also HIV cannot attach itself to cells in the mouth? I would really like to know the science. Thanks Mr. Velez!
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The risk is subjective because the amount of blood is important. Small amounts from minor cuts in the mouth are not a risk. Larger amounts of blood are.
Small amounts of blood in the mouth are not a risk and the antiviral activity of saliva can counter this. However, even without this, the small quantity of blood poses little risk.
I hope that helps with your education.
Rich
PS. It is "Through" and not "Threw"
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The risk is subjective because the amount of blood is important. Small amounts from minor cuts in the mouth are not a risk. Larger amounts of blood are.
Small amounts of blood in the mouth are not a risk and the antiviral activity of saliva can counter this. However, even without this, the small quantity of blood poses little risk.
I hope that helps with your education.
Rich
PS. It is "Through" and not "Threw"
Thank you HIVWorker, that is interesting, I wish I knew more about this senario before i started worrying so much. I also find it interesting HIV has never been passed through the mouth but websites insits it can still happen. One would conclude if it was possable infection rate would double overnight. However, What is a "small" amount, what is "large" etc etc.
haha "through" got it. ;)
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How long is a piece of string? I would say a small amount is drop and a large amount would be 1000 gallons...you get the idea.
If HIV were as easy to transmit as you suggest (like Mono or something) pretty much everyone would have it..
R
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Thank you HIVworker,
I was just curious on more the mouth to mouth situation. Given the recent popularity on Hookah bar boom around the United States, I’ve always wondered if there was a risk, even If there was blood on the pipe piece that you put in your mouth.
Mouth and mouth transmission was something I was considering to do my final paper on (the science, etc) but if this has never happened before in HIV history I guess I don’t have a strong paper! ::)
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rent,
You'd have to get something on the order of gallons of hiv infected blood in your mouth before you'd have a risk. I can't see that amount being on the end of a pipe, can you?
Ann
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Ok, three months later and I still find myself worrying and over thinking about HIV. Regardless of education, logic, and advice from the wonderful people on this forum I still worry about contracting HIV through hookah pipe sharing that I have done in the past with some questionable characters. I understand this is completely ill logic but I cannot get it out of my head. I understand this is clearly a form of depression/OCD on my part as well. I promise myself to seek mental health for this, but as for the mean time, I refuse to live like this.
I want to get tested, I want peace of mind back, this has robbed me of happiness far too long.
My question is, without going to the doctor (and embarrassingly explaining the situation to him) what are some other methods such as home testing kits, rapid test at the emergency room, etc that I could do right now? I was going to go give blood because I understand they would check for HIV. I figured if I’m just going to go through with this I might as well do something good and give blood to someone who might need it one day.
Please I need advice.
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rent,
Under NO circumstances should you or anyone else EVER use blood donation to test for hiv infection. To do so would be highly unethical.
You do not need to go through your doctor in order to get an hiv test. Please visit the HIV testing center database (http://www.hivtest.org/index.htm) where all you have to do is enter your zip code to find a testing center near you.
Test, collect your negative result and move on with your life.
To protect yourself from hiv infection, along with never sharing drug injecting equipment (I mean needles, not hookas or pipes) here's all you need to know in a nut-shell:
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. Sex with a condom lasts only a matter of minutes, but hiv is forever.
Have a look through the condom and lube links in my signature line so you can use condoms with confidence.
Anyone who is sexually active should be having a full sexual health care check-up, including but not limited to hiv testing, at least once a year and more often if unprotected intercourse occurs.
If you aren't already having regular, routine check-ups, now is the time to start. As long as you make sure condoms are being used for intercourse, you can fully expect your routine hiv tests to return with negative results. Don't forget to always get checked for all the other sexually transmitted infections as well, because they are MUCH easier to transmit than hiv.
Use condoms for anal or vaginal intercourse correctly and consistently and you will avoid hiv infection. It really is that simple!
Ann
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Thank you Ann,
It's sad but true, the only way I'm going to get over this is to get tested. I don't know why. What is it about this that has it on my mind 24/7? I need to further investiage.
My only true worry how I contracted it sounds silly even to me thinking about it, but for some reason I can't get over it. I will do my best to collect my negetive and move on.
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I'm going to get tested on Monday. I'm upset logic and advice doesn't play a factor. This is clearly OCD, I just needed to type that out. I do not want to worry about this for the rest of my life. This is awful.
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Well then getting tested is a good idea. And hopefully your negative test result will make it possible for you to put this concern to rest.
Good luck with what I certainly anticipate will be a negative result.
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I got tested today. A nurse took my blood and now waiting 7-10 days for results.
One thing that is troubling is they made me fast overnight to this morning. I could only drink water. I wonder what the reason was. Although, on retrospect I suppose it was because of my slighty high blood presure?
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5 days later and still no results! I'm going bonkers!! :(
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I got tested today. A nurse took my blood and now waiting 7-10 days for results.
Why? You still have 2-5 more days before they are considered overdue. And even then that means NOTHING, so don't imply anything by how long it takes to get them. Which is where I sense your mind is headed.
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Why? You still have 2-5 more days before they are considered overdue. And even then that means NOTHING, so don't imply anything by how long it takes to get them. Which is where I sense your mind is headed.
True it is. I'm sorry to be a bother, I have no where else to vent. Sad but true I use this site for reality checks. I just need this to be over.
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Keep breathing and stay productively busy.
And before you know it you'll have your result and I expect it to be a happy one.