POZ Community Forums
HIV Prevention and Testing => Do I Have HIV? => Topic started by: dynasto on April 21, 2007, 12:38:33 pm
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Hello
I went to a massage parolor today and I have the following questions that are causing me to be very anxious and scared..
1- Before I started the massage, she gave me a towel and asked me to take a bath. I took a short shower (about a minute) then I dried myself up with the towel she gave me. I dried my penis very well with the towel without looking and inspecting the towel first. I am afraid that the towel may have had some seamen or blood on it and may have entered through the uthera and infected me..is this possible?
2- when I finished drying myself, I laid on my stomach on the massage table with my penis on the piece of cloth on the table..I also didnt inspect the table before laying on it...what if any fluids were on the table, am I at risk??
Basically, how long can HIV remain infectious on the table or on the towel..is it a matter of seconds, minutes, or hours?
Please help me...I dont want to be worried and anxious !
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Read the Lessons section here to learn about HIV transmission.
No, you don't get HIV from picking it up off surfaces.
It's a difficult to transmit virus that has to get passed on within the body- not from skin contact.
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what if those surfaces had fresh bodily fluids on them??
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I told you no.
Now read the Lessons section to learn about HIV transmission and stop "what iffing" the situation.
I'm pretty sure that if you were laying down in a big puddle of cum you would've noticed it...but it wouldn't make any difference anyway. It is NOT transmissed by surface to skin contact.
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guys, am sorry am pushing this...but I dont understand how I could not be at risk if blood or semen from the towel or the massage table got on my penis?? Is a minute enough to deactiviate the virus?? I am really worried about this....
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You do not get infected by environmental surfaces. This is the end of this discussion.
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Instead of refuting the answers you're given, which are well grounded in HIV science, how about reading the lessons on transmission and testing and getting down with that information?
There's a link to them in Welcome thread which opens this section.
None of this is mysterious. HIV is a fragile virus. It requires a very friendly environment in which it can be transmitted through bodily fluids. Neither a table top nor a towel is such an environment. A vagina or an anus and very rarely a mouth provide such a setting.
Now, read the lessons!
Cheers,
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thanks for all your replies...the reason I am anxious over this is that about 4 weeks ago I had a condom failiure with a sex worker. I tested after 3 weeks with an antigen-antibody test and it came back negative. The doctor told me that he is sure that this test is conclusive enough but if I needed further re-assurement I should test again after 3 weeks (6 weeks in total) but he didnt think it was necessary. So now this incident happened yesterday and I dont want to start thw window period again !
what do u guys think about what my doctor told me...can I leave both incidents behind me and get on with my life??
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dyn,
What, exactly, do you mean by "condom failure"? If you mean the condom broke and your penis was inside her without the condom covering the head of your penis, then you need to test out to three months for a conclusive result. The only thing the three week test really tells you is that you were negative before the condom failure.
The vast majority of people who have actually been infected will seroconvert and test positive by six weeks, so a six week negative result is unlikely to change, but needs to be confirmed at the three month point.
You do NOT need to re-start your window period after your massage incident. As you have been told, hiv is NOT transmitted in that manner.
Ann
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I am back again as I cant keep this out of my mind. I know that the virus directly dies on contact with air but I am afraid because the towel was folded so the inside portions of it where not on contact with the air like the outside portions so the virus would have survived there and infected me ! Are you guys sure that there is no risk in this??? I am really sorry but am too anxious to do anything
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Give us a break. Why in the world would we give you false information? Seek the help of a mental health professional. You have shown that we can not be of any help to you. Good luck.
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I am not saying that you are giving me false information...I just need re-assurance...I dont really understand how infectioius fluids on a towel will not transmit HIV if they come in contact with the head of my penis..is it theoratically possible?
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Even when a man has unprotected intercourse it is not easy for HIV to enter through the urethra.
It just doesn't happen when semen or blood is on another surface unless you are sitting there with a tiny funnel and having it freshly poured from the other person right into your urethra.
Was that the circumstance you were in? No, I didn't think so. And I haven't even gotten into how fragile HIV is when it hits the air.
Give it up and get on with your life. And if you can't get over it then as Rod suggested, you need to talk with a counselor or other professional to discuss the emotional aspects of this problem.
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Thanks Andy, Ann, Rapidrod, thunter34 for your support...I will trust your assessment since you obviously are much more knowledgable than me in this field...I will put this behind me and get tested in two weeks time for the condom failure incident earlier..
God Bless you all
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I have a different question. Why do u guys say that eating food with blood or semen on it is not risky while there has been cases of HIV transmission from giving a blowjob? What is the difference between the 2 cases?
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dynasto, if you don't know the difference between eating a sandwitch and giving a blowjob, then bud, hang it up. You don't need to be having sex. Read the lesson section on transmission.
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Hello
I know what I did was stupid but please hear me out and advise...I have some vacutainer needles at my house. Sometimes when I want to do my diabetes test and I cant find the needles to draw blood I use those. Two days ago, some friend of mine where at my house and they were playing with one of those needles and poking themselves with them and they drew blood from one of the guys..then they put the cap back on and returned the needle to the drawer. Today, by mistake, I used the same needle to draw blood from my finger. Now I am petrefied and scared...was I at risk? I used the needle two days after my friends used it.....am I at risk? should I start PEP?
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tripoli,
Can I ask why you are using different usernames while posting to our forums? Thus far, you have also used dynasto (http://forums.poz.com/index.php?topic=11551.0)
Please realize that this kind of activity is disrespectful of other forum members, as well as our moderators. People spend a considerable amount of time helping others in these forums. Using multiple accounts is at the very least annoying, if not deceiving and disrespectful of others. It is also against our Terms of Membership (http://forums.poz.com/Terms.htm) which you agreed to when you became a member. This information is also contained within the Welcome Thread (http://forums.poz.com/index.php?topic=220.0), which you should have read by now. So really, you have no excuse.
You must realize that the answers won't change, no matter how many names you post under.
I would appreciate a reply to this message, and I hope you will commit to using just one account - preferably your original one. If not, you will be banned from further access to the forums.
Ann
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hello Ann....I actually forgot my username...I didnt mean to break the rules of the forum as I really dont t have a reason to.If I remembered my original username I would have used it to log on coz this question is different from the ones I asked before and now I really consider myself at risk.
Can you please comment on my exposure?
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trip,
Now that you know your original username, I need you to return to using it. I have merged your threads and will disable your new account.
Ann
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Ann,
I have been trying to remember the password or the email that I had for my user name for a long time but I just managed to remember it !
Anyway, I will re-post my exposure
"Hello
I know what I did was stupid but please hear me out and advise...I have some vacutainer needles at my house. Sometimes when I want to do my diabetes test and I cant find the needles to draw blood I use those. Two days ago, some friend of mine where at my house and they were playing with one of those needles and poking themselves with them and they drew blood from one of the guys..then they put the cap back on and returned the needle to the drawer. Today, by mistake, I used the same needle to draw blood from my finger. Now I am petrefied and scared...was I at risk? I used the needle two days after my friends used it.....am I at risk? should I start PEP?"
Can anybody please help me...I am really afraid this time.
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dyn,
You let your mates play with your needles? While you were not at risk for hiv infection in this needle incident, you may have been at risk for hep C. This is not a hep C website so if you're worried about hep C, that's something to take up with the doctor who monitors your diabetes.
Ann
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so Ann, u dont think I need PEP for this? I am so angry at myself for allowing this to happen...Do u think that 2-3 days are enough for HIV in the needle to be de-activated? I am at the low risk group or no risk for HIV?
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dyn,
You let your mates play with your needles? While you were not at risk for hiv infection in this needle incident, you may have been at risk for hep C. This is not a hep C website so if you're worried about hep C, that's something to take up with the doctor who monitors your diabetes.
Ann
Dy-
Ann said clearly that you were not at risk for HIV infection...
so Ann, u dont think I need PEP for this? I am so angry at myself for allowing this to happen...Do u think that 2-3 days are enough for HIV in the needle to be de-activated? I am at the low risk group or no risk for HIV?
...not "low risk".
Trust the advice given here. We know our shit.
Brent
(Who trusts Ann on everything, except maybe her Lasagna recipe)
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Ann, Bucko.....thanks a lot for your replies..
but I have read that hollow bore needle sticks are the highest risk activities...that is why I am scared. How come you guys see this as no risk? Thanks a lot
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dynasto, I guess you didn't understand the reason given to you at MedHelp, why PEP wasn't necessary and it wasn't a risk.
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well rapidrod, I am trying but nobody is giving me reasons....all I am getting that it is no risk while everywhere on the net, I read that the virus survives for a long time in the hollow bore needle..I am not doubting your answers, but I am worried...mainly because I acted so stupidly...I am just trying to understand so I can put this behind me
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You did not stick a vein nor did you inject anything into a vein you just poked yourself. There is no risk.
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all I am getting that it is no risk while everywhere on the net, I read that the virus survives for a long time in the hollow bore needle.
Well "everywhere on the net" is wrong. HIV does not survive for a long time in a hollow bore needle. I agree with everyone else, this not an HIV risk situation.
Honey, if you don't like the answers you're getting here your free to go elsewhere.
MtD
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how long will the virus be viable and infectious in the hollow bore needle. Are we talking about hours or days?
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how long will the virus be viable and infectious in the hollow bore needle. Are we talking about hours or days?
can anybody please answer me...I am really anxious
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I woke up today with a sore throat and a huge canker sore in my mouth....now I am totally freaked out....could these be the seroconversion symptoms??
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Ann, Andy, please aanswer my questions..I am really scared over this...is 2 days enough to de-activate the virus? How does this differ from needle sharing?? Was I really at no risk?
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Dynasto,
You were not at risk for hiv infection. Really. If you were, we'd tell you for certain. We don't want people walking around with undiagnosed hiv infection.
Whatever is going on with you has nothing to do with hiv infection. Please see your doctor if you are worried about your symptoms - we cannot diagnose you here. All we can tell you is that this was not an hiv concern.
Ann
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Ann, thanks a lot for your reply...I have read in many of your replies that HIV transmission among IV drug users is common because they needles are shared immediately...the time span between the time I used the needle and the time were my friends poked each other with it was about 2-3 days...is it safe to say that the virus will not be active given that time span?
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You did not inject anything in your body. You poked your finger. You didn't have a risk.
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yeah, I didnt inject anything coz it was not a syringe but just a vacutainer needle so there was no way to inject any fluids...but it took me some time to be able to draw blood from my finger using the needle...the needle actually spent some time in my finger...it wasnt like a fast poke and that is why am afraid
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It wasn't like embedding the needle into your finger either.
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what would it have taken to make infection possible?
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dyn,
If your friend took a syringe and drew some of his blood up into it, then you took the syringe from him and inserted it into your vein and injected his blood into your body, then, provided he was hiv positive to begin with, you may become infected. May.
Ann