POZ Community Forums
HIV Prevention and Testing => Do I Have HIV? => Topic started by: hellohello86 on May 16, 2013, 11:17:18 pm
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Hello everyone,
I am currently under a lot of stress over this, so wanted to ask you all lovely people if I am at risk of hiv?
For the past 6 months i have been using a razor that's just been in my bathroom (belongs to my sisters boyfriend I have recently found out)
I was not aware at the time that this was a way hiv was transmitted, and after I read something about it online,I'm totally freaking out and my stress levels are through the roof
I can't recall how many times I had used it or if there was any blood present, and I don't recall cutting myself.
Am I at risk of hiv? I am just a bit scared because I had cold and flu like symptoms for the past 3 weeks or so (runny nose, phlegmy cough, and sore throat)
I read articles that say its a risk and others where it says it isn't.
Any insight would be great.
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Hi Hello . HIV is a fragile virus and is easily damaged . The moment HIV is exposed to oxygen it becomes damaged and unable to infect . You did not have a risk for HIV in this situation .
As long as you are using condoms correctly and consistently you will avoid exposure to HIV .
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so even if the razor never left the shower cubical it would still exposed to oxygen? I only ask because i spoke to a online doctor who stated " HIV needs liquid to blood or water to exist in" so that got me a little worried, as the razor always sits in the soap holder of the shower.
and yes always use condoms, i am in a relationship and we are both been tested for all std's in the past.
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There is absolutely nothing to worry about in the scenario you described.
Of COURSE the razor is exposed to oxygen in the shower cubicle, unless you are on the space station and cubicle = airlock.
HIv simply isn't transmitted in the maner you describe.
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hahahaa no chance of being on a space station, very much on planet earth.
just a follow up question (sorry for all these questions)
used the razor to shave my private region, would that pose a greater risk than shaving my underarms or legs?
and finally so your saying, even if there was blood present on the razor and the i did cut myself- still no risk?
thank you. :)))
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hahahaa no chance of being on a space station, very much on planet earth.
just a follow up question (sorry for all these questions)
used the razor to shave my private region, would that pose a greater risk than shaving my underarms or legs?
and finally so your saying, even if there was blood present on the razor and the i did cut myself- still no risk?
thank you. :)))
Nope, no risk if you shaved your privates with another guy's razor. Although I imagine that his knowledge regarding the recent locations of his razor might make him decide to swap it out.
HIV cannot remain viable in the environment. Not for a moment.
By the way, even if you took oxygen out of the equation (I spent a little time pondering the airlock notion) the changes in pH and temperature would have similarly disrupted the fragile glycoproteins surrounding viable viral particles and make them impossible to infect.
This is why a person with a HIV and a high viral load who sneezes blood poses NO risk to anyone unfortunate enough to be sneezed upon. It's why a person with HIV/high viral load who scrapes his/her knee poses no risk to the person tending to the wound.
I could go all night listing off the ways HIV is not transmitted.
But here's a shortcut.
Sharing IV drug needles immediately after use.
Unprotected anal and vaginal sex.
Mother to child during or shortly after birth
Very specific healthcare situations.
And that's it. If HIV was as easy to transmit as you query, then family members who take care of advanced HIV patients would register infections. They don't. It's not.
I don't think I can make it simpler, but I can throw a ton of science at you if you need.
There are a lot of reasons why you shouldn't use your sister's boyfriend's razor to shave your junk. Awkward Thanksgiving conversation, for example. Other, robust pathogens, conceivably.
But not HIV.
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howwwwwwwwwwww awkward I'm a girl. Does that make a difference?
as i said, i wasn't aware it was his razor...... but def WILL be using my own razors from now on...
PS. I LIVE in Australia and we don't celebrate thanksgiving :P
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howwwwwwwwwwww awkward I'm a girl. Does that make a difference?
as i said, i wasn't aware it was his razor...... but def WILL be using my own razors from now on...
PS. I LIVE in Australia and we don't celebrate thanksgiving :P
You have my sincere apologies for the assumptions. My gender and location-checking software is NOT up to date.
However, shaving one's nether parts is a universal habit, and though it is a shame that you shaved your parts with the razor, rest assured that the parts shaved make absolutely no difference.
I do, however. stand by my "awkward Thanksgiving conversation." comment. Not celebrating the usurption of Native America by Colonial British Invaders would, by definition, make the entire meal awkward.
But it's a good idea to use your own razors. Some diseases (NOT HIV) can be passed through such devices, and you will be healthier to supply your own to those shaving events.
I have read that roommates (family and otherwise) tend to share a great deal of flora and fauna from toothbrushes and razors and soap simply being in the proximity of one another. While this is not a bad thing (unless you Google Toothbrush and Toilet) it is NOT something that rises to the category of an HIV risk.
Molluscum Contagiosum is a common, easily spread pathogen that can cause irritating (and unightly) bumps on the skin. It can be spread through razors when used by an infected person. And it can migrate from face to nether regions. While uncommon in adults, and not at all "serious" to most people, it can be difficult to get rid of, so avoiding common razors and towels isn't such an awful idea.
And I am already working on the screenplay for the razor in the airlock.
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Thank you so much for all the information :) glad to know that I can move on from this!! Def has been a stressful couple of days for me! I will be talking to my anxiety theparist next week.
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Hello,
Wow, I bet your sister's boyfriend has been wondering why the hell his razors are going blunt so quickly. You need to start buying your own - not because of any hiv concern though, but out of common courtesy and general good hygiene.
While you're not going to get hiv from a razor, there things like bacterial infections (and MC, as JK pointed out) that you can pick up from using other people's personal hygiene items. Ick! Stop being such a tight-wad and buy/use your own!
Unless you've also been using your sister's boyfriend's penis in unprotected anal or vaginal intercourse, you're not going to get hiv from him.
Here's what you need to know in order to avoid hiv infection:
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 sexually transmitted infections together.
To agree to have unprotected intercourse is to consent to the possibility of being infected with an STI. Sex without 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. Some of the other STIs can be present with no obvious symptoms, so the only way to know for sure is to test.
Use condoms for anal or vaginal intercourse, correctly and consistently, and you will avoid hiv infection. It really is that simple!
I hope you pass the information above on to your sister and your friends. It's amazing how many women never give hiv a thought when having unprotected intercourse. Most women only seem to worry about unplanned pregnancy - but the Pill will not protect you against hiv or any other STI. Only making sure your fella is wearing a condom will.
Just to be clear, you haven't had a risk for hiv infection through using someone else's razor and therefore you do not need to test over this specific situation. You only need to test if you've been using unprotected penises for vaginal or anal pleasure.
Ann
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Hi Hello , please do not start a new thread and be sure to post all of your questions and comments in this thread only . If you have trouble finding your thread you can do so by going to your profile and selecting show own post and it will take you here .