HIV positive cousin and mosquito, plus discarded needle

[Justwonderinguk]

Hi,

I have 2 questions that I would like to put forward to the experts.

I was on holiday 2 months ago with my cousin who has been recently diagnosed with HIV. I decided to book him a flight as a gift to get his mind off things however now I am the one left with things on my mind. 

We both slept in the same room and on the same bed for the entire weeks holiday.

We both woke with a LOT of mosquito bites all over us.

So my first question is:

1. If a mosquito bites him then is disturbed while feeding on him and then comes and bites me what is the chance of HIV infection?

Also:

I was pricked on the knuckle from a discarded needle in the room, it did bleed but it wasn't too deep but there was defiantly blood from the puncture it made. The needle is for his insulin which he says he took about 30 minutes beforehand and that's why he hadn't disposed of it correctly.

So my second question would is, what are the chances of HIV infection from the needle stick injury bearing in mind he used it about 30 minutes prior?

I am very anxious and worried over these two incidents and was wondering if I need to test.

Thank you





 

[RapidRod]

None of the situations above were risk of HIV transmission.

[Jeff G]

Mosquito's are not infectious with HIV and you do need to worry about being infected that way , its impossible to be infected in that manner .   

HIV infections and IV drug use occur from sharing syringes immediately after use by an HIV positive person . For an infection to occur there must be fresh blood that gets injected into your body . Insulin users are not drawing blood , they are pushing medicine . Any blood left on a insulin syringe would not be infectious a moment after it was exposed to oxygen and would not be a risk for HIV .

If you were a heath care worker and you nicked yourself with a used insulin needle it would not be considers a real risk and PEP would not be advised . This type of incident is not the kind that leads to hiv infections .

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!   

[Justwonderinguk]

Is a test after 8 weeks good enough?

[Jeff G]

Is a test after 8 weeks good enough?

It will be good enough since you never had an exposure to begin with .

The average time to seroconversion is 22 days. Most who are infected will test positive by 6 weeks. For various reasons a small number will take longer and that is why we follow the CDC recommendation to test at 3 months for a conclusive negative result.

[jkinatl2]

Is a test after 8 weeks good enough?

Please understand that, while I totally understand the dreadful lack of comprehensive HIV education in this country, the notion that HIV could be spread through a mosquito bite was disabused about 25 years ago. Many of us find the question almost as insulting as "If an HIV positive person sneezes can I get HIV?"

Also, insulin needles do not draw blood into the body. You cannot plunge blood that isn't there into yourself. You have had no risk whatsoever in that department either.

I urge you to red our comprehensive LESSONS on transmission, in the drop down link at the top of this page.

You did not have a risk, but if you need to test, then test out at six weeks and then at three months. ANd in the meantime, PLEASE avoid telling your cousin about this until you have educated yourself better. If he is recently diagnosed he is likely suffering from fear of stigma, among other things. ANd what you have discussed here is precisely the sort of thing that feeds that stigma.

You have the oppurtunity to educate yourself. Please avail yourself of that.

[Justwonderinguk]

Hi all,

I was grocery shopping the on Saturday, as I looked at the food on the aisle... I suddenly felt a small sting just above left butt cheek and upon turning around noticed a man standing right behind me. I felt the area where it stung and i felt a very small raised dot (needle mark?). I am not sure if a needle poke will cause a very small bump almost like a blackhead or very small pimple?

I know there are a lot of what ifs in this story but I would like some clarity on the situation as testing may be warranted?

If the person was HIV positive.
If that person did poke me with a needle.
If that needle was just used by him moments earlier.

I have read comments here about this sort of thing being an urban myth, but I can assure you having read the Metro (UK paper) a few months ago there was a report about a man who was randomly poking women in Birmingham with a needle.

So what are the chances of infection considering all the what ifs actually are true?

Thanks

[RapidRod]

◾Please do not start a new thread every time you have another question or thought - regardless if you think your questions are related to each other or not. It helps us to help you when you keep all your thoughts or questions in one thread and it helps other readers to follow the discussion. Additional threads will be merged.

◾If you cannot find your thread, click on the "Show own posts" link in the left-hand column of any forum page, under your name.

[Jeff G]

You seem to have a running theme of being fearful of needle stick injury's . You have been advised already in this thread on the subject so please read it again . You are imaging things and no one is trying to inject you with HIV . Please get some help for your HIV phobia as we can not help you with that  . 

We are not going to play into your what if I was injected fear . You can discuss it with your therapist or doctor .