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Shingles and HIV questions
Hello,
Recently a friend of mine who is gay Hispanic male in his 20's was sick and went to the doctor where he was diagnosed with a sinus infection and Shingles.
I have read NUMEROUS articles and studies on the internet (including medhelp) that show a strong correlation between Shingles in young people and HIV infection. I am concerned that he is in fact infected. However, I do not feel close enough with him (and it's probably not my place) to tell him that he should be tested. He stated that he didn't ask his doctor what caused it, but he read online that a low immune system could cause it.
Can you please discuss the correlation between Shingles and HIV infection.
Also, I am worried about potential exposure as before he was went to the doctors, he was coughing and sneezing and he sneezed on me once and I had an open cut on my hand. Should I be worried?
Recently a friend of mine who is gay Hispanic male in his 20's was sick and went to the doctor where he was diagnosed with a sinus infection and Shingles.
I have read NUMEROUS articles and studies on the internet (including medhelp) that show a strong correlation between Shingles in young people and HIV infection. I am concerned that he is in fact infected. However, I do not feel close enough with him (and it's probably not my place) to tell him that he should be tested. He stated that he didn't ask his doctor what caused it, but he read online that a low immune system could cause it.
Can you please discuss the correlation between Shingles and HIV infection.
Also, I am worried about potential exposure as before he was went to the doctors, he was coughing and sneezing and he sneezed on me once and I had an open cut on my hand. Should I be worried?
MEDICAL PROFESSIONAL
No, it isn't false. But of all people with new shingles, probably under 1% (maybe under 1 in 1,000) have HIV.
But I stress again that even if your friend does have HIV, you still are not at risk. So just move on without worry. This is nothing to be concerned about. And frankly, your friend's health and the possibility he has HIV is none of your business, assuming you are not sex partners of one another.
But I stress again that even if your friend does have HIV, you still are not at risk. So just move on without worry. This is nothing to be concerned about. And frankly, your friend's health and the possibility he has HIV is none of your business, assuming you are not sex partners of one another.
Please, one last question...
You wrote that "Shingles is more common in people with HIV. However, the reverse is not true: HIV is no more common in people with shingles than without it. Further, when shingles occurs with HIV, it is only in advanced infection, i.e. overt AIDS -- generally many years after catching the virus. And it is rarely if ever the only manifestation of advanced HIV infection; it occurs almost entirely in persons with other obvious symtoms of AIDS, other opportunistic infections, and so on"
However, I have read that shingles can be a sign of early HIV infection. Is this false?
You wrote that "Shingles is more common in people with HIV. However, the reverse is not true: HIV is no more common in people with shingles than without it. Further, when shingles occurs with HIV, it is only in advanced infection, i.e. overt AIDS -- generally many years after catching the virus. And it is rarely if ever the only manifestation of advanced HIV infection; it occurs almost entirely in persons with other obvious symtoms of AIDS, other opportunistic infections, and so on"
However, I have read that shingles can be a sign of early HIV infection. Is this false?
MEDICAL PROFESSIONAL
As a gay man with shingles, your certainly should be tested for HIV. But I repeat that even if he has it, you are not at risk. The biological reasons that HIV transmission risk is low (HIV survival, secretions in wound) simply don't matter. The important thing is that nobody has ever caught HIV from the sorts of things you are worried about. Do your best to accept the reasoned, science-based reassurance I have given and move on without worry. I won't have any further comments or advice.
One more follow-up questions...
Normally I wouldn't be concerned but the fact that he is a gay male made me more worried.
Also, how long can HIV theoretically and practically, live outside of the body, like on a surface?
Also, if his nasal discharge did get into my open wound, would that carry enough of the virus for transmission?
These are all of my questions, thank you again.
Normally I wouldn't be concerned but the fact that he is a gay male made me more worried.
Also, how long can HIV theoretically and practically, live outside of the body, like on a surface?
Also, if his nasal discharge did get into my open wound, would that carry enough of the virus for transmission?
These are all of my questions, thank you again.
MEDICAL PROFESSIONAL
Could such a think happen? Maybe. Has it ever actually occurred? Probably not.
Among people who live in the same house with HIV infected persons, sharing kitchens, eating utensils, toilets, etc for many years, nobody gets infected if they are not sex or needle sharing partners of the infected person.
Be safe in your sexual practices and don't share drug injection equipment with anyone, and you'll never get HIV.
Among people who live in the same house with HIV infected persons, sharing kitchens, eating utensils, toilets, etc for many years, nobody gets infected if they are not sex or needle sharing partners of the infected person.
Be safe in your sexual practices and don't share drug injection equipment with anyone, and you'll never get HIV.
MEDICAL PROFESSIONAL
Welcome to the forum.
It is true that shingles is more common in people with HIV. However, shingles is a very common condition on its own, and the vast majority of people with shingles don't have HIV. That includes young people; my son had shingles at age 13. And I've had it myself.
Shingles results when the chickenpox virus reactivates. In the US, almost everybody over 20 years old has had chickenpox and are lifelong carriers of the virus. (This is declining with routine childhood vaccination.) Thus, probably 200 million people are infected. Up to 30% of them will get shingles, around 70 million people. By contrast, well under a million people in the US have HIV.
Therefore, your friend's shingles doesn't mean he has HIV. But even if he does, you can't get HIV by sneezing, coughing, etc. HIV is transmitted only by sex, shared needles, etc.
So no worries. Don't ask your friend about HIV, don't get tested, don't worry, and if you are sexually active, you need not worry about infecting anyone with HIV.
Best regards-- HHH, MD
It is true that shingles is more common in people with HIV. However, shingles is a very common condition on its own, and the vast majority of people with shingles don't have HIV. That includes young people; my son had shingles at age 13. And I've had it myself.
Shingles results when the chickenpox virus reactivates. In the US, almost everybody over 20 years old has had chickenpox and are lifelong carriers of the virus. (This is declining with routine childhood vaccination.) Thus, probably 200 million people are infected. Up to 30% of them will get shingles, around 70 million people. By contrast, well under a million people in the US have HIV.
Therefore, your friend's shingles doesn't mean he has HIV. But even if he does, you can't get HIV by sneezing, coughing, etc. HIV is transmitted only by sex, shared needles, etc.
So no worries. Don't ask your friend about HIV, don't get tested, don't worry, and if you are sexually active, you need not worry about infecting anyone with HIV.
Best regards-- HHH, MD
Also can you please talk about potential transmission with nasal discharge going into an open wound???
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