
Is HIV Transmission Possible Through Skin Contact?

Question: Yesterday I got a flu shot at my insurance company's annual meeting. The lady who gave me my shot did not wear gloves. All the shot syringe packages were on the table. She swiped my arm with a wipe gave the shot. Then she said it is bleeding a bit and stuck a piece of paper/ tissue on me momentarilly.
I asked wby she did not wear gloves and shd said the company did nit require them I did not notice any blood or cuts on her, but it all went so fast I was not able to see everything. I am scared beyond sensless worrying if I could have gotten HIV from.this. Please help.
I asked wby she did not wear gloves and shd said the company did nit require them I did not notice any blood or cuts on her, but it all went so fast I was not able to see everything. I am scared beyond sensless worrying if I could have gotten HIV from.this. Please help.
Brief Answer:
Your HIV risk is negligible only.
Detailed Answer:
Hi,
Welcome to HCM.
Thanks for posting your query.
HIV can not thrive outside the body fluids especially over hands or fingers, not more than few seconds even if handled an infected material.
Even if we consider that lady who gave you injection was a HIV positive individual and even if she happened to touch your bleeding injection site, the risk for HIV is negligible only.
Not to worry about that.
Dr S.Murugan
Your HIV risk is negligible only.
Detailed Answer:
Hi,
Welcome to HCM.
Thanks for posting your query.
HIV can not thrive outside the body fluids especially over hands or fingers, not more than few seconds even if handled an infected material.
Even if we consider that lady who gave you injection was a HIV positive individual and even if she happened to touch your bleeding injection site, the risk for HIV is negligible only.
Not to worry about that.
Dr S.Murugan
Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar


Brief Answer:
Your risk for HIV is negligible.
Detailed Answer:
Hi,
Welcome back.
FLU shot will not affect the HIV result.
If that lady had a fresh oozing lesion over her hand and if you had an open wound and the same came in contact with the oozing material then your risk may be a little high.
Medicine is not mathematics to get a constant answer. As you had mentioned that there was a bit of bleeding during the injection. So I put your risk as negligible. Otherwise I would have consider a nil risk.
Dr S.Murugan
Your risk for HIV is negligible.
Detailed Answer:
Hi,
Welcome back.
FLU shot will not affect the HIV result.
If that lady had a fresh oozing lesion over her hand and if you had an open wound and the same came in contact with the oozing material then your risk may be a little high.
Medicine is not mathematics to get a constant answer. As you had mentioned that there was a bit of bleeding during the injection. So I put your risk as negligible. Otherwise I would have consider a nil risk.
Dr S.Murugan
Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar


Thank you. So you do not think I need to get tested for this, correct?
Brief Answer:
No necessary for HIV testing
Detailed Answer:
Hi,
Welcome back.
There is no need for testing for HIV.
Dr S Murugan
No necessary for HIV testing
Detailed Answer:
Hi,
Welcome back.
There is no need for testing for HIV.
Dr S Murugan
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Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar

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