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Can HIV Be Contracted Through Contact With Blood And An Open Wound?
Question: Hi doctor,
Before I ask I need to say I already asked a doctor these questions, in case he sees this, I am happy with his answer, but I'm very paranoid and OCD about HIV and have to ask twice to double check...
My questions are:
1. My back neck has a small area of rash due to allergy, and I often scratch it, sometimes it bleeds a little bit. Last month I went to a lab to do an STD test, including blood draw and urine test. When I was in the lab or returned home I can't remember, I scratched my rash and it bled a little bit again. I didn't shower until 3 days after returning from the lab. I’m worried that, if my hand touched something in the lab that may have HIV virus, then touched the bleeding rash, the virus may be transmitted into my body. Do I have any risk of having HIV?
2. When I was taking a urine sample my fingers accidentally touched my genital area. Before this my fingers touched the bathroom door knob. There seemed to be some red brown splash stains on the door around the knob, I don't know if they were blood or not, and I don't know if the knob was clean or not. Is there any chance that my fingers caught HIV virus on the knob and transmitted it onto my genital area and then into my body?
3. After going home from the lab, I didn't shower until 3 days later, is there any chance that my exposed skin caught HIV virus from the lab, and my hands touched it, and when I scratched my skin (for example, the rash on my neck, which I mentioned before, sometimes I scratch it and it bleeds a little bit) or rubbed my eyes the virus may enter my body?
My mind keeps dwelling on these thoughts. Do you think I should do a HIV test after window period? Thanks, I'd appreciate your help!
Before I ask I need to say I already asked a doctor these questions, in case he sees this, I am happy with his answer, but I'm very paranoid and OCD about HIV and have to ask twice to double check...
My questions are:
1. My back neck has a small area of rash due to allergy, and I often scratch it, sometimes it bleeds a little bit. Last month I went to a lab to do an STD test, including blood draw and urine test. When I was in the lab or returned home I can't remember, I scratched my rash and it bled a little bit again. I didn't shower until 3 days after returning from the lab. I’m worried that, if my hand touched something in the lab that may have HIV virus, then touched the bleeding rash, the virus may be transmitted into my body. Do I have any risk of having HIV?
2. When I was taking a urine sample my fingers accidentally touched my genital area. Before this my fingers touched the bathroom door knob. There seemed to be some red brown splash stains on the door around the knob, I don't know if they were blood or not, and I don't know if the knob was clean or not. Is there any chance that my fingers caught HIV virus on the knob and transmitted it onto my genital area and then into my body?
3. After going home from the lab, I didn't shower until 3 days later, is there any chance that my exposed skin caught HIV virus from the lab, and my hands touched it, and when I scratched my skin (for example, the rash on my neck, which I mentioned before, sometimes I scratch it and it bleeds a little bit) or rubbed my eyes the virus may enter my body?
My mind keeps dwelling on these thoughts. Do you think I should do a HIV test after window period? Thanks, I'd appreciate your help!
Brief Answer:
No you should not !
Detailed Answer:
Thanks for your question.
I am Dr Matin and will be answering your queries.Let us some basics first :
HIV does not survive in the environment (outside the body fluids media) beyond few minutes , so there is way the virus could have survived there (hypothetically even if we assume there were viruses) beyond few minutes.Then it gets destroyed easily by soaps and disinfectants which are used widely in the labs and finally there has no case been reported through this mode (contracting it through lab walls) from any where from the world till date since the discovery of virus in 1981.
So stop worrying about getting HIV through contact with the walls and there is no need of going for any test
Find your answers:
1. Absolutely no risk(reasons explained as above).
2. No chance (reasons explained as above)
3. No way (reasons explained as above)
Hope this helps.
No you should not !
Detailed Answer:
Thanks for your question.
I am Dr Matin and will be answering your queries.Let us some basics first :
HIV does not survive in the environment (outside the body fluids media) beyond few minutes , so there is way the virus could have survived there (hypothetically even if we assume there were viruses) beyond few minutes.Then it gets destroyed easily by soaps and disinfectants which are used widely in the labs and finally there has no case been reported through this mode (contracting it through lab walls) from any where from the world till date since the discovery of virus in 1981.
So stop worrying about getting HIV through contact with the walls and there is no need of going for any test
Find your answers:
1. Absolutely no risk(reasons explained as above).
2. No chance (reasons explained as above)
3. No way (reasons explained as above)
Hope this helps.
Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Vaishalee Punj
Walls, as well as chair, desk, restroom door knob etc, are all safe, right?
Brief Answer:
Yes
Detailed Answer:
Thanks for your response.
Yes indeed , it applies to every thing (chair, desk,restroom,door knob).
HIV can't survive outside white blood cells beyond a few minutes on at any surface or in environment.
Hope it is useful.
Yes
Detailed Answer:
Thanks for your response.
Yes indeed , it applies to every thing (chair, desk,restroom,door knob).
HIV can't survive outside white blood cells beyond a few minutes on at any surface or in environment.
Hope it is useful.
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Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Vaishalee Punj
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