Horrific

[bluesong]

Good day doctor!
I had a horrible experience and wonder if you think I am at risk of HIV.

I have been having some problems with my stomach and some bad diarrhea in the past few days. Early today it really caught me out and and I ran for the nearest public toilets / rest rooms. I sped in to a cubicle and made it just in time. I hovered quickly over the bowel careful not to touch it (this place was disgusting!!). Not to go in to details too much I was hovering over the bowel but also bending forward (stomach was hurting and it felt slightly more comftable like this). My numbers two's hit the water with force and splashed up so high that apart from soaking and going up my bottom,spray (and I dread to think what else) landed on my forhead and quite a bit got in to my eyes.

I was in quite a bad way so I was in the toilet for a good ten minutes. When I had finished and was ready to pull the chain to my horror apart from my excretion I saw that someone else must have used the toilet before me and not flushed. I am 100% it wasn't mine.  I don't know how fresh it was but I expect the toilets are used often as they are just off the city highstreet.

1) I have quite bad piles and a couple of scratches also(blood on the toilet paper etc) so worried about fluids from the bowel hitting and going up in to my backside.

2) Spray hitting me directly in the eyes with obviously a possibility of excreation is also a real worry.

I left the toilet quickly without using the basin to wash my hands, face or eyes as the looked like they hadn't been cleaned for weeks and to be honest I just wanted to get out of there.

Is there a possiblity of catching anything like HIV.

Because my stomach was so bad there was a lot of dirty water etc splashing back up constantly.

Many thanks and sorry for the graffic detail so early in the day but I am very worried.

[Edward W Hook, MD]

Sounds like an awful experience.  fortuantley however, it is "behind your (pun intended) and rasies no conerns about getting HIV.  No one has ever gotten HIV from a toilet splash or exposure in a toilet, even if the water did splash about widely.  You will not be the first.  If the virus was present (unlikely) it would not survive in water.  That you have piles and scratches does not change your risk (non-existent) nore does that the splash may have gotten to your eyes and face.  No risk.  No testing is warranted.  EWH

[Edward W Hook, MD]

Read my answer- no risk.  This will end this thread.  EWH

[bluesong]

Thanks doc - Even if he had blood in his spit?

[Edward W Hook, MD]

You have a knack for unusual exposures don't you.  Breath easy however - no risk.  EWH

[bluesong]

Hi Doctor,
Many thanks for your answer and I really appreciate your in depth information on this.
It was a horrible situation but as you say I can now put "behind me" without worries.

I have another quick question. I suffer from very bad bleeding gums. I am due to see the denist again next week. They are so bad that in the morning I spit blood but even during the day I can taste blood and spit out quite a large amount. Anyway I answered the door to a down and out who wanted some money. As he was speaking  his spittle /sliva went in to my mouth. I felt it immidiately and I kind of freaked because just before opening the door I had been in the bathroom spitting some fresh blood in the sink. Is there a chance of infection if he also had blood in his spit? - I checked again straight after and there was still quite a bit of blood.

Thank you.