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Possible HIV Risk?
Hello, and thank you all in advance for taking the time to calm my anxiety. I am worried my son was exposed to a possible HIV risk (or other diseases).
We were at a river, tubing, when another tuber was getting out of the water a head of us. The man yelled, and fell to his knees.....turns out he had stepped on something sharp and cut his foot open. He proceeded to get out, gushing blood everywhere. We got out behind him, and thought I avoided his path of blood. A minute or so later, my (6year old) son said his "nose was bleeding". When I went to investigate, his nose was not bleeding. He just thought it was since he lightly picked it and there was blood on his finger. Upon checking him out, I realized there was blood (from the man) on his foot, which he touched, then picked his nose. :( I know HIV does not infect someone through contaminated areas, but I'm freaking out. Since the blood was fresh, maybe a minute or so old, is there a risk??? I'm freaking out.
We were at a river, tubing, when another tuber was getting out of the water a head of us. The man yelled, and fell to his knees.....turns out he had stepped on something sharp and cut his foot open. He proceeded to get out, gushing blood everywhere. We got out behind him, and thought I avoided his path of blood. A minute or so later, my (6year old) son said his "nose was bleeding". When I went to investigate, his nose was not bleeding. He just thought it was since he lightly picked it and there was blood on his finger. Upon checking him out, I realized there was blood (from the man) on his foot, which he touched, then picked his nose. :( I know HIV does not infect someone through contaminated areas, but I'm freaking out. Since the blood was fresh, maybe a minute or so old, is there a risk??? I'm freaking out.
Best Answer
I'm sorry you are going through this trouble. However, HIV infection does not occur outside the body. Once expose to the air, HIV is rendered unable to infect.
You're right.....the real struggle here is my anxiety! Thank you for your help, James!
I get your anxiety, really. However, nothing you add on changes the fact there was no risk.
Thank you both so much, I am feeling better. I thought of one last question, and I swear I'm done. If my son had a scrape on his foot from the river rocks, that I didn't see at first, and stepped in the wet blood, is that still no risk for HIV? Again, I didn't see any scrapes or cuts, but I wasn't looking too hard. Thank you again.
Thank you. So there is no risk at all for HIV transmission? Even if (maybe) he had a scratch in his nose somewhere? What about other diseases? Last set of questions, promise! :)
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