Aa
I wasnt looking did the nurse reuse the syringe , hiv scare
1 year ago i was stupid enough to have an affair with a horrible man, at the time i wasnt thinking anyways i broke up with him and a month later i had trichomonal infection hiv was not even in my cconsideration but when i went to the gum clinic in the uk they routinely check for hiv and hepatitis etc and then i foundout that i have to wait as i am in the window period and thats when this phobia started i got checked at 7 weeks 3 months 4 months 7 months and then i got pregnant and the midwife did a test that was at 8 months anyways i thought ill have just one more test 1 year post exposure to be 200% sure and anyways i went for my last test this was gonna be my ticket to freedom , i wasnt thinking about hiv after 12 weeks it was just precautionary thing anyway when the nurse was taking the blood i wasnt looking so i didnt see her takle a new syringe out now i am all freaking thinking she reused a used syringe and contaminated me i fee im back in square one please help...i suffer from ocd .. maybe its paranoia....but guys i need some help
Those kinds of stories for the most part, are urban myths....made up to scare people. Even if you HAD sat on a needle that had come in contact with HIV, you still would not contract the virus. As for just sitting in a chair, no that is no risk either.
If you feel you are having these kinds of irrational thoughts frequently, or they are consuming you, it is time to seek some professsional help.
If you feel you are having these kinds of irrational thoughts frequently, or they are consuming you, it is time to seek some professsional help.
what about contracting hiv by sitting on a chair at an std clinic? what if you sat on a needle and got poked does that happen or is that just a story
You are a petal nursegirl i really appreciate your replies, since the age of 13 i finish with one compulsion and another starts thsts how it is thats its always been , i have read everywhere there is no cure for ocd, its something you just have to live with so i dont see the point in paying for expensive therapy if there is no cure and i will never take medication. You say there is no shame in being ocd but i think ppl think ur a bit mental so ibottle everything up and only ask God for guidance. ist just that when someone talks to me like my sister and husband that makes me feel better and i manage to take control of my mind its just this hiv issue i cant discuss it with no one i am all alone on this except for you gorgeous ppl you are the only ones that can help me with this...i went to the clinic it was very busy but they gave me a few mins made me feel better and i am thinking of returning once more when they have more time so that i can talk through it then im sure i can move on, at the present time i am waiting anxiously for my 1 year post exposure elisa blood test results and im petrified pray they give me the results today or tomorrow so i can get on with me life and the other ocd hiv scare issue with that i will ask for your help i will go to the clinic and i will ring some uk hiv hotline:) then maybe i can move onnn
You have one thing one your side...you KNOW deep down that your fears are irrational, and while you may be able to work through them yourself, I think you owe it to yourself and your family to seek professional help. There is NO shame in that, and think of how great it would be to NOT have to live with the obsessive thoughts?
As for the HIV concern....all of the "what if's" are totally typical with OCD and anxiety issues....you were already SO fearful of HIV (understandably), that if it wasn't your brain coming up with the re-used needle scenario, it would have been something else....I hope that makes sense? Basically, you were already obsessing about having or getting HIV, so your brain (and our brains can often be our worst enemy)...would have most likely imagined some other situation where you would be questioning whether or not you contracted the virus.
I saw your other thread about fearing urine....this is why I am saying that instead of trying to work through all of these fears yourself, give the professionals a chance to HELP you work through this and not live in fear anymore. Honestly, if you don't start addressing it, you may get past one fear, but it will eventually be replaced with another.
Also, technically speaking, Nalu made a terrific point...even if your VERY worst fears were true (that the needle somehow was re-used, and was used prior on an HIV + person)...there would STILL be virtually ZERO chance of infection. HIV is an EXTREMELY fragile virus...not only does it die when exposed to air, but it takes a VERY significant amount of blood or body fluid exposure to ever be a problem.
PLEASE, for your sake and your family's sake....please seek some help. There is just NO reason you need to suffer needlessly and continue this anxiety cycle. I'm glad you came to this forum, I really hope we can help to guide you, and support you in getting well.
Good to have you here.
As for the HIV concern....all of the "what if's" are totally typical with OCD and anxiety issues....you were already SO fearful of HIV (understandably), that if it wasn't your brain coming up with the re-used needle scenario, it would have been something else....I hope that makes sense? Basically, you were already obsessing about having or getting HIV, so your brain (and our brains can often be our worst enemy)...would have most likely imagined some other situation where you would be questioning whether or not you contracted the virus.
I saw your other thread about fearing urine....this is why I am saying that instead of trying to work through all of these fears yourself, give the professionals a chance to HELP you work through this and not live in fear anymore. Honestly, if you don't start addressing it, you may get past one fear, but it will eventually be replaced with another.
Also, technically speaking, Nalu made a terrific point...even if your VERY worst fears were true (that the needle somehow was re-used, and was used prior on an HIV + person)...there would STILL be virtually ZERO chance of infection. HIV is an EXTREMELY fragile virus...not only does it die when exposed to air, but it takes a VERY significant amount of blood or body fluid exposure to ever be a problem.
PLEASE, for your sake and your family's sake....please seek some help. There is just NO reason you need to suffer needlessly and continue this anxiety cycle. I'm glad you came to this forum, I really hope we can help to guide you, and support you in getting well.
Good to have you here.
No god forbid i dont need that medication for my babybecause ithe rational part of my barin knows i have not got hiv ...im just paranoid...those are things that get me paranoid ias i am pregnant and its not just me i get scared for
Thanks gusy for your replies...i know i need help butmainly i tend to get over my worries myself..someimtes i think i can help myself which i cant but i dont know where to find a good psychiatrist...i dont want to go crazy and i would have gone had i not come on medhelp and found out that there are other ppl out there hwo have same thought irrational thoughts rather about being infected by a used syringe...
As a former paramedic, i can tell you that for YEARS now all medical professionals use needles that retract after use or use other aids to protect themselves from needle sticks. This also has another added benefit of helping to almost eliminate any possibility of reusing needles. Take it from me that it would be almost immpossible for someone to make that mistake. Actually it would take over three mistakes just for this to happen, and with some needles, it would be actually impossible. Not too mention that even if she did, the needle would have been sitting there for a while, and HIV does very poorly outside of the body. Exposure to air kills the virus very quickly. Adding up all of these together reduces your chance to almost nill, being that most people that get tested do not have HIV.
As far as your child goes, there are meds out there that can help to keep them from getting HIV from their mothers. It reduces the likelyhood below 10% as you know. I too suffer from OCD/hypochondria and know how horrible the thoughts can be, you need to see a doctor to get some help, this is not something you can just get over and it will not get better if you just ignore it. I know that costs can be prohibitive, but it the quality of your life not worth money, i mean after all its just money and you can always earn more.
Best wishes
As far as your child goes, there are meds out there that can help to keep them from getting HIV from their mothers. It reduces the likelyhood below 10% as you know. I too suffer from OCD/hypochondria and know how horrible the thoughts can be, you need to see a doctor to get some help, this is not something you can just get over and it will not get better if you just ignore it. I know that costs can be prohibitive, but it the quality of your life not worth money, i mean after all its just money and you can always earn more.
Best wishes
Many folks have that "needle" thing going on -even if they watch it being taken out of a package -they worry that it wasn't really new. So, the proble here is with fig newtons of your imagination. If you need to, go back to the clinic and express your concern, but realize that what's going on with you -as about what's going on with you -not them. Chatting up a psychologist might not be a bad idea either, to get some help with this and the golden stream issue. In any event, while you are most welcome to interact with all the folks here, who will support you in every and any way we can, posing your issues to US (who can't possibly make the issues disappear) may simply be one more way that you are embedding your fears into your own psychology. The time for a break-out has come -I encourage you to GO for it!
Hey there , you told me to come to this forum lol....so here i am ....my love i understand what you are telling me and believe me it has a big impact on my mind especially cuz you yourself are a professional but what can i do .....im pregnant and the thought that i may have been contaminated scares me that if i ignore it and i dont find out about my status im scared i might deny the doctors the chance to know and use those medicines they use when you are pregnant ot make sure the kid has little chance of aquiring hiv , plus i thought ill have a planned c section to save my child dont breastfeed it ....i mean all these thoughts come in my mind like WHAT IF WHAT IF and i dont protect my unborn child and what if i pass this horrid horrid disease to my husband who is an angel...you know what i mean thats what gets me panicking....this was supposed to be my closure with this hiv episode ,:(((( i dont have access to a prefessional:(
Sweetie, I told you on the HIV forum that you have nothing to worry about with your blood draw. I REALLY think you need to talk to someone professionally who can help you work through these obsessive thoughts and anxiety.
I promise you that people who draw blood for a living do NOT re-use needles, and the proper disposal is second nature for them. They don't want to be at risk either, you know?
I hope you get the help you need, please try to move on.
I promise you that people who draw blood for a living do NOT re-use needles, and the proper disposal is second nature for them. They don't want to be at risk either, you know?
I hope you get the help you need, please try to move on.
Have an Answer?
You are reading content posted in the Anxiety Community
Find out what can trigger a panic attack – and what to do if you have one.
A guide to 10 common phobias.
Take control of tension today.
These simple pick-me-ups squash stress.
Don’t let the winter chill send your smile into deep hibernation. Try these 10 mood-boosting tips to get your happy back
Want to wake up rested and refreshed?
