Risk in oral sex and while doing hiv testing.

[superworried]

OK, I have been hanging around this forum for 2 months and the reply from Ann,Andy and RapidRod kept me sane and calm till now..

My story,

I received oral sex from a sex worker on the 31/12. I have went for STD check on the 23rd day and all came back negative for NGU,Gonorrhoea,Syphilis and Chlamydia. I took a HIV test on the 27th day (a blood test that shows the results in 20mins) and came back negative.

On day 41, I took the same HIV test and it came back negative.

I know that receiving oral sex is low risk, does a 41 day after exposure negative result warrant another test again?

But now I have a new worry..

After the HIV test, I saw the nurse took a band-aid from the table with a some dried blood on one end of the band-aid wrapper. He was holding on to the end without the blood and tore the wrapper, taking out the band-aid. All this while, I was staring at his movement, wondering if his gloved hands touched any of the dried blood on the wrapper.

Although, I did not see any dried blood on the band-aid when he put it on my pricked finger but it sets off all kinds of alarm in my head.
What if he touches some of the dried blood and his hand contact the band-aid where it covers my freshly pricked finger? Will I get infected with HIV if the blood has the virus?

Am I getting paranoid?

This clinic does only hiv test on the day I went and it was crowded, am I at a risk of getting HIV from the clinic if the wound on my finger comes in contact with dry blood that could possibly has the virus? Could the virus (if there is any) be still active in dried blood?
If it is, I will have to wait for another 3 months for the window period to test all over again. This is killing me..

Ann,Andy and Rapid,
Please advise. Thank you!

[Ann]

super,

Getting a blowjob is not a risk for hiv infection and you didn't need to test over this specific incident. You are hiv negative.

Yes, you are being paranoid with your concerns about what you believe was dried blood. Dried blood is NOT capable of transmitting hiv. You didn't have a risk while having your hiv testing done.

You are hiv negative. Make sure you use condoms for anal or vaginal intercourse, every time, no exceptions, until you are in a securely monogamous relationship where you have both tested negative for hiv together. Use condoms and you will continue to avoid hiv infection.

Ann

[superworried]

Ann,

Thank you for the reassuring reply.

What are the chances of small amount of dry blood coming in contact with my fresh wound and infecting me through it? I was worried because of the freshly pricked finger which is a good transmission route if I was in contact with the blood.

[superworried]

Were there any studies done on infections from dry blood? Especially if it come in contact with a fresh wound? Thanks again for any information!

[RapidRod]

http://www.cdc.gov/hiv/resources/qa/qa35.htm

[superworried]

Hi Rapid,

Thanks for the link.
Does it mean that dry blood have no active virus? What if the dry blood is is dried for only minutes?
Should I test again in 3 months time and put my mind to ease? I really hope I am just thinking too my much and I will be ok..

[Ann]

super,

Hiv is a very fragile virus and once it is outside the human body, it quickly becomes damaged and unable to infect. There is NO WAY you would become infected from dried blood.

You can test all you like, but unless you've been having unprotected intercourse or sharing needles to inject street drugs, your results are going to keep coming back negative.

Ann