Unsure about risk

[footiefan675]

Dear Doctor, thank you for your previous help on this forum. I am trying to support a member of my family who suffers terribly from anxiety, we are aware this is our last question for some months, but hopefully as counselling begins soon we can finish with this question. An incident occurred a few months ago. She was trying on some shoes and noticed the security tag had fallen off, leaving the large pin (which held the tag) exposed, and she felt it agaisnt her finger. She believes she checked her finger for a cut, and just saw a small pink mark (perhaps just from where it had touched her, or maybe just the colour of her skin?) However because she experiences these kind of situations with nervous feelings regularly she has begun to worry that if there was a cut or a small puncture wound, that it would be possible to get HIV. Having searched the forum I found Dr Hook say with an IMMEDIATE pin prick there would be only a theoretical possibility of getting HIV. Our question is, would this hold if the pin was larger (larger than a pin used in an office, quite a bit thicker). We ask this because with the anxiety it seems possible to my daughter that if a high risk person had been in the store, handled the shoes, bled, it seems possible to her that she could have an 'immediate pin prick' and she just needs the reassurance that with a larger, thicker pin, the opinion would still hold that risk is only 'theoretical.' Thanks Doctor.

[Edward W Hook, MD]

Yes.  EWH

[footiefan675]

Thanks Dr, I promise last comment, does your advice remain the same for hepatitis and other bloodborne diseases?

[Edward W Hook, MD]

You are correct.  EWH

[footiefan675]

Thank you very much Dr for your reassurance, your comments are very helpful for us. So we understand the chance of having a larger amount of blood held on a larger pin, is counteracted by the fact it wouldn't be able to penetrate as deeply (and again we are saying it is low risk to begin with).

[Edward W Hook, MD]

Welcome back to the Forum.  As I am sure you are aware, the likely hood of all of the "ifs" you mention are incredibly low but, if these were to occur the risk would not be increased with a larger pin.  In fact, because the larger pin would be less likely to penetrate as deeply as a smaller pin, the risk could well be lower (if it is possible to be lower - we're talking incredibly low risk here).  Your family member has no reason for concern and certainly no reason to test.

I hope my comments are helpful. EWH

[footiefan675]

our 'what if' situation is frustrating, however i meant to write because she experiences these nervous situations a lot she feels her memory becomes confused.