POZ Community Forums
HIV Prevention and Testing => Do I Have HIV? => Topic started by: ForeverGrateful on January 10, 2013, 07:37:19 am
-
I have been living with a HIV positive brother. He is on drugs. He usually has nasal discharge caused by the cold morning. He has a nasty habit of picking his nose. I also have a this nasty habit of nose picking. Recently he picked his nose and touched and operated a phone. He gave me that phone and I operated it and picked my nose say 2-3 minutes after that: 1) What are the chances of infection? 2) The Nose has mucous membranes, any documented cases of infection via the nose mucous membranes, nose picking specifically? 3) Do nasal discharge have sufficient quantities to cause transmission(I didn't see any blood)? 5) Should I get tested?
-
You are worrying needlessly. HIV is a fragile virus. It is not transmittable in a viable form in the manner you are concerned about. Nor is it transmitted from food, shared household objects such as toilet seats, towels, daily utensils or hand contact.
There has never been a confirmed case of transmission in the manner you are concerned about. Sharing intravenous needles is a risk, but that is very different than what you are talking about.
There's no need for testing nor for further concern on your part.
-
FG,
You could pick your brother's nose and then pick your own nose right afterwards and you would still have no risk for hiv infection. It's a filthy disgusting habit and can spread colds and flu, but it's not going to cause you to end up with hiv.
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.
ALTHOUGH YOU DON'T NEED TO TEST FOR HIV SPECIFICALLY OVER NOSE-PICKING, 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
-
Thanks Ann and Andy for your prompt reply. Just probing for clarity so that I may understand the dynamics of HIV transmission. 1) Is it that nasal discharge does not contain enough quantities of the virus to cause transmission or is it that the mucous membrane in the nose offers a "barrier" to infections as some medics claim? 2) What activities would you consider as an occupational risk in handling and taking care of my HIV positive brother?
-
FG,
1. Nasal discharge is not infectious where hiv is concerned. Neither are sweat, tears, saliva or urine. Cum and blood ARE infectious fluids.
2. Don't share drug injecting equipment with your brother and don't have anal intercourse with him without a condom. That's it.
Hiv is NOT transmitted during any normal, day to day contact. That includes touching his snot and/or getting his snot in your own nose or mouth.
Use condoms for anal or vaginal intercourse, correctly and consistently, and don't share drug injecting equipment, and you will avoid hiv infection. IT REALLY IS THAT SIMPLE!!!
Ann
-
To dig even deeper, the blood that often colors "nasal discharge" is not infectious. There is no reason to root around for more possibilities here. In no way is nose-picking or nasal discharge a means of transmitting HIV.
Please understand that HIV is not a boogey-man.
-
Hi Ann, Andy, jkinatl2, Rod, Jeff
FG here again. Thanks for the good work. Been following your risk assessment posts and I agree with you guys totally, that HIV is transmitted primarily by unprotected anal and vaginal intercourse except I have a few unanswered questions:
1. I have read a few posts from this forum (I just tested poz) and other sites where newly infected guys say that they've always practised safe sex and seem to wonder how they got infected. Is it that people are not telling the whole story or there are those incidents where HIV can be spread through other ways apart from unprotected anal and vaginal intercourse?
2.If a HIV poz man undergoes a vasectomy surgery, does it affect in any way the chances of him infecting his partner (female) with HIV?
3. Is spilled and dried blood in a GP lab risky?
-
Hi Ann, Andy, jkinatl2, Rod, Jeff
FG here again. Thanks for the good work. Been following your risk assessment posts and I agree with you guys totally, that HIV is transmitted primarily by unprotected anal and vaginal intercourse except I have a few unanswered questions:
1. I have read a few posts from this forum (I just tested poz) and other sites where newly infected guys say that they've always practised safe sex and seem to wonder how they got infected. Is it that people are not telling the whole story or there are those incidents where HIV can be spread through other ways apart from unprotected anal and vaginal intercourse?
2.If a HIV poz man undergoes a vasectomy surgery, does it affect in any way the chances of him infecting his partner (female) with HIV?
3. Is spilled and dried blood in a GP lab risky?
1 . Sharing Intravenous injection rigs or equipment is a vector that can lead to HIV infections . If you follow the safe sex guidelines provided in this thread and refrain from sharing needles you will remain HIV negative .
2 . A HIV positive man that's undergone a vasectomy can still transmit HIV , so he would need to protect his partner .
3. HIV isn't viable in blood within seconds after its exposed to air , so no , you aren't going to get HIV from a lab counter surface . Also see Andy's initial reply to you , its pertinent to this question also .
-
1. I have read a few posts from this forum (I just tested poz) and other sites where newly infected guys say that they've always practised safe sex and seem to wonder how they got infected. Is it that people are not telling the whole story or there are those incidents where HIV can be spread through other ways apart from unprotected anal and vaginal intercourse?
Sometimes people forget what actually happened while having sex under the influence of drink and/or drugs. Sometimes they are unaware of a condom break while being the receptive partner. Sometimes people cannot bring themselves to admit to risky behaviour. Sometimes they don't consider unprotected sex they've had with people who they believed were hiv negative. And sometimes people lie - even to themselves.
Ann