Poked with sharp metal object

[Lakerfan625]

Hello,

I was doing an arts and crafts project with some kids at a boys and girls club.  One of the boys thought it would be funny to poke me with the tip of a "pipe cleaner", the little furry things that you can bend to create shapes, etc. and which have a metal wire inside.  Anyway, I am now worried that he poked someone else in the class, and then poked me with it right afterward.  Assuming that he poked an HIV+ student right before he poked me, would that carry any risk at all?  Just to be clear, I did not see him poke any other student, I did not see any blood on my arm, but do not know if it penetrated my skin, and I checked the pipe cleaner, and there was no "visible" blood.  Here are my questions:

1.  Assuming he poked an HIV positive student, and immediately poked me with it, within seconds, does this pose a risk?

2.  Does the fact that there was no blood on my arm guarantee that there was no way HIV could have been passed?  In other words, would I have to have been poked so deep that there would have been a lot of bleeding?

3.  Does the fact that there was no visible blood on the pipe cleaner mean that there is no way that HIV can be transmitted? or is there a possible way that there was a microscopic amount of blood that I did not see?

Is there any possible variable in this story that may cause any alarm, and/or need for me to seek medical attention.

Please help.

Thanks.

[Jeff G]

Hi Lakerfan , HIV is a fragile virus and once exposed to oxygen is instantly damaged and unable to infect .

1 . It would not matter if the pipe cleaner had a drop of blood on it from a person living with HIV , it would be rendered unable to infect and it also needs to be said , HIV isn't acquired that way and it wouldn't be a risk .

2. HIV is contracted through unprotected anal or vaginal  sex , sharing IV drug injection equipment , mother to child during childbirth and during specific situations in health care settings ... none of these apply to you .

I could go on with number 3 but as you can see you didn't have a risk and you can safely move on and put this out of your mind . 

[Ann]

Laker,

Hiv infection by pipe-cleaner? I think I've heard it all now. If hiv were as easily transmitted as you're imagining (ie "microscopic blood" on things in the environment), the whole world would be poz by now.

Working with kids sure does have its health perils - but most teachers I know complain of colds and flu they seem to come down with more often than the average population (in addition to the frequent urge to pull their hair out). That's because kids don't wash their hands after they wipe their snotty noses on their hands and spread their germs all over the  classroom. Cold and flu viruses can be passed on like this, but NOT hiv. And thank goodness for that.

Hiv is a fragile, difficult to transmit virus that is primarily transmitted INSIDE the human body, as in unprotected anal or vaginal intercourse where the virus never leaves the confines of the two bodies.

Once outside the body, small changes in temperature, and pH and moisture levels all quickly damage the virus and render it unable to infect. This is why you're NOT going to get hiv from a pipe-cleaner, or any other object in the environment including but not limited to eating utensils, cups, plates, doorknobs, sheets or whatever else your fevered imagination can come up with.

Simply put, unless you're having unprotected anal or vaginal intercourse with your young charges, you're not going to get hiv from them. You may, however, end up with hiv after you're thrown in jail (and made Bubba's bitch) when the authorities find out you're engaging in sexual activities with children.

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!

Ann

[Lakerfan625]

Hello All, I just have a quick question.  I don't want to hear people asking about exposure, or telling me other info about testing etc.  Just answers to the questions.

Is gingivitis a symptom of hiv?

If so, when does gingivitis show up in people who are hiv+?

thanks

[Jeff G]

Please do not start another thread every time you have a question . Only post in your original thread . You can always find your thread by going to your profile and selecting show own post .

The answer to your question is no .     

[jkinatl2]

Hello All, I just have a quick question.  I don't want to hear people asking about exposure, or telling me other info about testing etc.  Just answers to the questions.

Is gingivitis a symptom of hiv?

If so, when does gingivitis show up in people who are hiv+?

thanks

Gingivitis is not a symptom of HIV.

Please floss.