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Can I Get HIV After Sitting On A Urine Splashed Public Toilet Seat?
Question: Hi Doc,
I am from India, and my question is : due to my work I have to travel extensively and I use public restrooms most of the time, they are as usual very dirty and have urine on the seats ....I usually wash the seat fully with water before sitting on it but last week due to urgency I skipped it and sat over urine splashed seat ...it felt disgusting afterwards and I fear that I have risked my life due to HIV in urine possibly ..........please help me and tell me whether I need to get any tests ...for hIV ..i am feeling guilty for not maintaining hygiene .
rgds
AAAA
I am from India, and my question is : due to my work I have to travel extensively and I use public restrooms most of the time, they are as usual very dirty and have urine on the seats ....I usually wash the seat fully with water before sitting on it but last week due to urgency I skipped it and sat over urine splashed seat ...it felt disgusting afterwards and I fear that I have risked my life due to HIV in urine possibly ..........please help me and tell me whether I need to get any tests ...for hIV ..i am feeling guilty for not maintaining hygiene .
rgds
AAAA
Hi XXXXXXX
Thanks for posting your query.
You need not worry regarding hygienic practice as HIV virus doesn't exist outside the human body.
If you are talking about a drop of blood then any HIV virus in it will be rendered non-infectious very quickly.
Inside of a syringe HIV could theoretically stay infectious longer as there is limited exposure to air and the blood will take longer to "dry out".
So HIV virus on toilet seat doesn't exist for longer period.
If still you have doubt then you can go for HIV testing by ELISA technique at any government hospital as soon as possible.
In case of any doubt, you can go for western blot testing.
But in my opinion, your test will come negative if you do not have any unprotected sexual contact history.
Put your query if you have.
Best regards,
Dr. Mayank Bhargava
Thanks for posting your query.
You need not worry regarding hygienic practice as HIV virus doesn't exist outside the human body.
If you are talking about a drop of blood then any HIV virus in it will be rendered non-infectious very quickly.
Inside of a syringe HIV could theoretically stay infectious longer as there is limited exposure to air and the blood will take longer to "dry out".
So HIV virus on toilet seat doesn't exist for longer period.
If still you have doubt then you can go for HIV testing by ELISA technique at any government hospital as soon as possible.
In case of any doubt, you can go for western blot testing.
But in my opinion, your test will come negative if you do not have any unprotected sexual contact history.
Put your query if you have.
Best regards,
Dr. Mayank Bhargava
Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar
Thanks Sir,
But as per me there was no blood on the seat but just urine because lot of people had used it before me .
Does that change anything ????
rgds,
But as per me there was no blood on the seat but just urine because lot of people had used it before me .
Does that change anything ????
rgds,
Hi,
The appearance of HIV in saliva, urine, tears, and sweat is of no major clinical importance, as transmission of HIV through these fluids does not routinely occur, primarily because of the low concentration of HIV in these fluids.
So there is negligible chances of getting infection from urine and what matter we are discussing "urine on toilet seat" so virus won't survive outside the body so there is no chance of getting infection.
Don't bother,
Dr. Mayank Bhargava
The appearance of HIV in saliva, urine, tears, and sweat is of no major clinical importance, as transmission of HIV through these fluids does not routinely occur, primarily because of the low concentration of HIV in these fluids.
So there is negligible chances of getting infection from urine and what matter we are discussing "urine on toilet seat" so virus won't survive outside the body so there is no chance of getting infection.
Don't bother,
Dr. Mayank Bhargava
Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar
thnx doc, i dnt wnt to sound like an obsessed person bt i hv to admit dt i end up worrying too much abt hiv infection . . .im losing control over my life in dis way. . .i hv lots of wrk to do in the cmng months for my career nd cnt afford to spoil this time worrying abt hiv . .. Pl suggest whether i cn take a dna pcr test and wt would be the correct time after exposure to take it???i wnt to put my mind at rest
Hi XXXXXXX
Although there is least chances of infection, yet you can go for DNA PCR for clarification.
All the best for the coming months,
Sincerely,
Dr. Mayank Bhargava
Although there is least chances of infection, yet you can go for DNA PCR for clarification.
All the best for the coming months,
Sincerely,
Dr. Mayank Bhargava
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Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar
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