Could I get infected?

[E84]

Hello all,

Kind of long, probably weird, so I'll apologize ahead.
Anyway, I'm a student (female, if that matters) and I share an aprtment with 2 more people: another girl and a gay guy.

The guy mentioned at some point, as part of a joke, that he might have AIDS. Problem is, I tend to be ovely paranoid over... everything, and since then the possibility that I might get it through him haunts me.

I know AIDS doesn't JUST transmit, but...

for example, I know I can't get it through the toilet: but we clean the house probably once every 2-3 weeks, does it matter?
And I know that sharing towels won't give it to me, but if, for example, if there's dried blood on the towel, and then we wash it with other towels, is it a risk? Can AIDS transmit through dried blood? Can dried blood get... um... undried in contact with water?

I know it might sound really stupid, but I am paranoid. It got to the point where I think I have it, somehow, and then I got scared when someone took a bite off my sandwich, because I have blood in my mouth sometimes and... yeah.
Getting tested is no soulutin, as I'll have to do it every 3 months, in this situation.

So, my question, is there really absolutely NO REASON I should be afraid, as we don't have ANY sexual intercourse and really, a touch with someone else's fresh blood with an open wound rarely happens?

[RapidRod]

2009 and you are asking these kind of questions? Unbelievable. Read the lessons section on transmission.

[E84]

Alright, from your reply I'll accept I'm being irrational.

So, bottom line, no risk of getting it somehow through dried blood? (Yes, I read the transmission section).

It might sound very stupid to you, but as I mentioned in my post I tend to get ovely paranoid over various things.

[Ann]

E84,

There really is absolutely NO REASON you should be afraid of living with someone who is hiv positive. The only ways you're going to become infected are if you're having UNPROTECTED anal or vaginal intercourse with a positive person, or sharing drug injecting equipment with a positive person. Hiv is not transmitted during normal, casual, day to day contact nor is it transmitted from objects, including food, in the environment.

Hiv is a fragile, difficult to transmit virus that is primarily transmitted INSIDE the human body, as in UNPROTECTED anal or vaginal intercourse. Once outside the body, small changes in temperature, pH levels and moisture content all quickly damage the virus and render it unable to infect.

You know, it's not only gay men who might have hiv. You need to act as though ANYONE you have sexual relations with is hiv positive. I know plenty of straight men who are hiv positive.

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 all three condom and lube links in my signature line so you can use condoms with confidence.

ALTHOUGH YOU DO NOT NEED TO TEST FOR HIV SIMPLY BECAUSE YOU LIVE WITH A GAY MAN, 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.

Use condoms for anal or vaginal intercourse, correctly and consistently (and dont' share drug injecting equipment with anyone), and you will avoid hiv infection. It really is that simple!

And by the way, if your housemate has engaged in risky behaviour - unprotected intercourse - you might want to urge him to get tested, and the same for yourself if you've ever had unprotected intercourse with ANYONE. Hiv is no longer a death-sentence, provided the infection is caught early enough, before major damage has been done to the immune system. There are treatments today that are very effective, but you cannot treat the infection until you know you have it. Responsible adults know their hiv status through regular testing.  

Ann

[E84]

Thank you for your serious respnose, Ann

Just for the record I want to add that the thought he might be positive because he's gay never crossed my mind until he mentioned it himself.