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Confused

Hi, I am quite confused by the information I am finding. Most places I go to say HIV can no be trasnmitted from an environmental surface. Then there is so much stuff contradicting this. They say you should wear gloves if touching blood on the floor on many many sites, wouldn't this be an environmental surface? The doctors on here say there is minimal chance of catching HIV from sharing snorting gear, many other sites say it is also minimal, isn't this an environmental surface? It is all just so confusing and no one seems to know!!

From what I understand is that HIV can not remain infectious outside its host (is the host the human body). Then how would anything outside the human body pose a risk of infection? Thanks for any feedback.
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Avatar universal
Thanks for the great information and your time.
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186166 tn?1385259382
dont sign your name to a copy and paste.
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Avatar universal
No one has been identified as infected with HIV due to contact with an environmental surface. Additionally, HIV is unable to reproduce outside its living host (unlike many bacteria or fungi, which may do so under suitable conditions), except under laboratory conditions, therefore, it does not spread or maintain infectiousness outside its host.
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1069143 tn?1471312610
The HIV virus is extremely fragile, it cannot live very long outside the body. The host is in fact the human body. HIV can be transmitted through sexual relations, sharing needles, or blood transfusions (not common in US and Canada).

"Hope my adivce helped. I have no formal training in the medical field, please do not mistake my response for medical advice or a diagnoses. Consult your family physician for any further analyzation. If you feel you have been put in a situation that you may have contracted a STD or STI, get tested at a doctors office, health department, or an STD specialty clinic." -Thank You, Hometownboy98
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Avatar universal
Thanks for the feedback, I was kind of taken back by Dr. Hooks response on this saying minimal risk so it kind of worried me for other stuff as it is an environmental surface.
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Avatar universal
HIV is not transmitted by environmental surfaces. There are other bloodborne diseases that are easily transmitted in that manner. HIV is not transmitted by snorting drugs. HCV has been documented by snorting drugs. Yes the host is the human body. HIV does not pose a risk outside the body.
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