So worried, I really need you help

[Seiko1991]

Hello,
First I would like to thank you for all your help and support.
I'm really stressed and want to put this fears behind me and resume my normal life, I begging you to help me.
I have done lot of testing after a non-risk situations. Which now brought me to irrationally think of risk from blood testing.
Could you please evaluate this exposure and I will take your answer as the last and defitive one to stop my fears as I trust you.
I went for a blood testing In a small lab. The nurse didn't for sure change the gloves, when she withdraw the blood she took a cotton ball between her fingers and rolled it for seconds. And immediately put it in my arm where the blood have been drawn.
In worst scenario, if she had blood from previous patient on her gloves and touched the cotton and then the cotton  touched my arm, is there any risk? Let's assume time between previous patient and me was one minute? 4 o4 5 days after I had swollen lymph node (right side) it hurts when I swollow.
I want to put this behind me. May I resume unprotected sex with my wife without fears??is any test required in this situation? Please help me and I will condiser your answer as definitive to put this behind me.
Sorry, and many thanks

[Seiko1991]

Hello,

Another last detail. The cotton was without alcohol.
She didn't put alcohol on the cotton that she put on my arm

[Jim Allen]

Hiya.

What you posted isn't an hiv risk. Relax and move on with your life.

Here's what you need to know to avoid HIV infection:
Use condoms for anal or vaginal intercourse, correctly and consistently, every time, no exceptions. Consider talking to your healthcare provider about PrEP as an additional layer of HIV protection going forward.

Keep in mind that some sexual practices which may be described as ‘safe’ in terms of HIV transmission might still pose a risk for transmission of other STI's, so please do get fully tested regularly and at least yearly for all STI's including but not limited to HIV and test more frequently if unprotected intercourse occurs

Also, note that it is possible to have an STI and show no signs or symptoms and the only way of knowing is by testing.

Kind regards

Jim

Please Note.
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[Seiko1991]

Thank you Jim for your quick answer.
So may I put all this behind me without testing?? May i continue to have unprotected sex with my wife no matter symptoms which I may have?? This is my last question.
What is your advise for me to stop this irrational fears?

[Jim Allen]

I've already answered both in my first post, asking again will not change the answer but will give you a longer reply.

So may I put all this behind me without testing??

What you posted in your initial post was zero HIV risk. You did not acquire HIV from getting your HIV status tested.

I don't know what other risks you had, why you were testing/getting lab work done or when your last exposure was but what you posted was zero HIV risk and, does not require testing over.

May i continue to have unprotected sex with my wife no matter symptoms which I may have?? This is my last question.

Here, this would be an HIV risk to you.

Look no judgement but if you do engage in condomless sex with your partner then you are obviously at risk. Often within relationships, condomless sex is based on trust or past test results, however, this does not prevent HIV and any condomless intercourse is accepting the greater risk of acquiring HIV.

If you do choose to engage in condomless intercourse, consider testing more frequently for HIV and easier to acquire STI's.

I don't know what is making you feel unwell, personally, if I was unwell even if just a common bug I would be holding off or getting it treatment instead of passing it on to my partner.

I would recommend you see a doctor and get whatever it is treated, one thing I do know for certain, whatever is making you feel unwell it's not HIV from getting an HIV test or blood work done.

What is your advise for me to stop this irrational fears?

Start practising safer sex, consider talking to your healthcare provider about PrEP as not only will it add a layer of HIV prevention but it might help to calm your fears and finally consider talking to a qualified therapist to support you with your irrational fears & thoughts.

[Seiko1991]

Hello,

Sorry to feel the need to come back again with new situation. I hope you can help me assess my risk and tell me if any testing is needed.
This is what happened yesterday
I was outside with a friend repairing his car, the car hood was open and suddenly his head hit the edge of the car hood. I immediately touched the area where he hit his head to check if it was sharp or not. (maybe there was some blood)
Then, I washed my hand with perfumed liquid soap and some drops of liquid bleach.
ONE HOUR LATER, I felt some pain in my anus (maybe hemorrhoids) and I put my finger(the same which touched the car hood) in my anus maybe I pushed it a little or just in the hole... I don't know.
Now I'm scared to death if this exposure would put me at risk. Could you please answer my following questions
1- did I take any risk?
2- must I go for testing or take prep as it happened yesterday?
3- after touching the blood (in reality I didn't see any blood on car hood but let's assume there was some blood) I touched other objects (like doorknob, light switch.. Ect) and then I washed my hand as I said above. After that i probably touched the same object before putting my finger in my anus. (I hope you understood this situation) is it  risk?
4- I know the virus is inactive once exposed to air, but I found this cdc article "HIV cannot survive outside the human body for long as, when exposed to air, the virus undergoes a rapid (within several hours) decrease (90-99%) in HIV concentration" could you please explain?
5- may I resume unprotected sex with my wife(we are both negative)?
6-if what I said above is no risk, is there any imagenary which can make my situation risky?
Please help me assess my risk, and totally stressed.

[Jim Allen]

Nobody has ever acquired HIV through fingering or fingering themselves. Regardless of whatever you touched and hours beforehand it lacks all the the biological and environmental factors needed for you to aquire HIV.

As for your wife you already know the answer and it's not going to change.

 

if you do engage in condomless sex with your partner then you are obviously at risk. Often within relationships, condomless sex is based on trust or past test results, however, this does not prevent HIV and any condomless intercourse is accepting the greater risk of acquiring HIV.

If you do choose to engage in condomless intercourse, consider testing more frequently for HIV and easier to acquire STI's

[Jim Allen]

Your first post was also about contact with fluids, objects etc. Nobody has ever acquired HIV the way you fear. Stop looking for issues that don't exist and focus on your real risks instead.

If you come back with the same again it will lead to a ban. You have to apply the information already provided. If you cannot move past these irrational fears consider speaking to a therapist to help you cope with your thoughts.

[Seiko1991]

Thank you Jim.
It means there is definitely no risk?
Please Jim, I really need your help. Here is my story in brief. I'm really living in a nightmare during six months
First I kissed a girl while I was having a cold sore in my lips, I tested after that several times.
When I was taking the last test which normally would have cleared my fears I unfortunately started thinking about the nurse not changing the needle... Again several tests and then after the last one I suspected the cotton ball which was soiled and I asked my first question here. You answered me and I forgot about it temporarily.
After that I went to the dentist, he used a dental probe to check my gums and I suspected it were not sterilized and again I went for testing (so sorry) and now I want - based on your advices-to forget all about this and move on with my life (please tell me clearly move on with your life)
What is your advice for me? I want just to know if I had a risk or not after this exposure (fingering my self to inspect what was hurting me)?
Please what should I do? Advise me please.
I promise I will do my best to forget all this and move on after your advice.

[Jim Allen]

Hiya.

Nothing you mentioned is an HIV concern. This is a self-created drama that is over nothing. Don't get me wrong I am sorry to hear that you are in emotional pain but I am not going to pretend HIV is an issue for you outside the ongoing condomless intercourse you engage in.

Look in short, the vectors and conditions needed for acquiring HIV are very well understood. Its nearly the most studied virus in history. The outcome of this is that your HIV risks as an adult are as follows:

Sex - Use condoms and consider talking to your healthcare provider about PrEP as an additional layer of HIV prevention.

Using IV drugs - Don't inject using used needles and syringes, use new ones

Blood transfusions & transplants - Extremely unlikely nowadays considering blood products are screened.

Anything else you fear is not an HIV concern.

I've included below two links on myths that kinda relate to your fears as well. They are myths for good reason.

Top 5 countdown of myths
https://forums.poz.com/index.php?topic=68627.0
Myths
https://forums.poz.com/index.php?topic=68441.0

Now out of kindness, and as warned I will ban you for 28 days. I do wish you well but I refuse to entertain fantasy. The ban is also to encourage you to seek mental health support.