hiv from blood towel

[sunstar1980]

Dear doctor,

i went to a barbershop today and got a face clean up and shave done.
while shaving i got a cut on my face and blood oozed out.
now i am not worried about the blade as the blade was new and he took out in front of me.

MY WORRY IS

IMMEDIATELY AFTER THE CUT HE CLEANED MY  FACE  WITH A WET TOWEL.
AFTER WIPING MY FACE I SAW THE TOWEL HAD RED STREAKS OF BLOOD.
ALSO THE BARBER SHOP WAS SHABBY AND HE HAD ONLY TWO TOWELS IN THE SHOP AND WAS USING SAME TOWEL ON EVERY CUSTOMER.

NOW I AM WORRIED WHAT IF THERE WAS SOMEBODYS HIV POSITIVE BLOOD ON THE TOWEL AND IT ENTERED MY CUT WHILE WIPING MY FACE WHICH ALREADY HAD A FRESH CUT.

DO I NEED TESTING  AND AM I AT RISK OF CONTRACTING HIV?
I AM QUIET WORRIED?

MY BEST REGARDS

[Edward W Hook, MD]

Welcome to the Forum.  I see from reading your earlier interaction on the HIV Community site that that you worry quite a bit about HIV transmission through cuts an surface exposure.  Please don't worry.  HIV is ONLY transmitted in adults through ano-genital or genital-genital intercourse an through injection of the virus deep into tissue.  Surface contact with blood or blood-soaked material is not infectious.  

In the case that you describe, there is no risk of infection:
1.  The blood you saw was probably not from a person with HIV.
2.  Even if it was from someone with HIV, the virus dies quickly in the environment and could not be transmitted to you this way.  That you had a fresh cut does not change this.

This event was no risk. You need not be concerned an do not need testing. EWH

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[Edward W Hook, MD]

1. correct.  No risk from sharing towels with HIV infected persons.

2.  see above.  No risk. Even if the blood was fresh and you had a fresh cut on your face.

Please stop worrying. This is not the way HIV is spread.  EWH

[sunstar1980]

thanks a lot doctor for the prompt response.
you are right i worry a lot about hiv as one of my close friends got it recently.

just two more questions to clear my confusion:

1) is there  no risk of hiv transmission by sharing towels with hiv positive people ?

2) also if  we persume the blood on towel was fresh and hiv positive and since i had a fresh cut on my face then is there a risk?

[sunstar1980]

ALSO I WANT TELL YOU THAT I HAVE SOME PIMPLES ON MY FACE AND ONE OF THE PIMPLES ALSO GOT BURST.
AND THE BLOOD ON THAT WET TOWEL SEEMED TO BE FRESH AND THE TOWEL WAS WET.
REGARDS