HIV risk question

[Collegedummy]

Hi, I am just trying to find out if I actually had a risky HIV occurrence or not. The other day I played a pickup game of basketball with a bunch of guys I didn't know, I had a small cut on one of my knuckles that I didn't have before the game and didn't notice until after the game. A little while after playing I noticed the cut and there was newly dried blood on and around it. I don't know how I cut it but I started to worry because a couple of the guys were bleeding, including the guy I was guarding and I did get a little bit of blood on my hand. I'm worried that I got one of the other guys blood in my cut and possibly could get HIV from this. So i overall have a few questions...

1.) Is my situation a risk of getting HIV? I mean I know blood to blood contact is a risk, but to get HIV would I have to have a huge bleeding wound have a lot of HIV+ blood get in it to get HIV or could I get HIV from getting a drop or two of blood into my small open cut?

2.) My other question is just out of curiosity since I don't know, but if you got cut and bleed by something like scissors for example that had some HIV+ blood on it, what would be the chances of getting HIV, would that be a big risk of HIV or like a hard to get HIV situation?

If I could get multiple good opinions on this I would greatly appreciate it and it would be very helpful since I don't know if I have something to really worry about or not, Thank you!

[Collegedummy]

Thanks Teak, I hear what your saying. I understand now that I would have to have a huge bleeding cut and get a lot of HIV+ blood in it to be at real risk.

And I knew before hand that the risk of getting HIV off of something is real low since HIV dies quickly outside of the host but my question dealing with the scissors example was talking about fresh blood.... like if you accidently got cut by scissors or something else with fresh HIV+ blood on it and the cut caused you to bleed, in that situation wouldn't that be a risk of getting HIV since it would be fresh blood still able to transfer HIV?

That's the last thing I'm trying to figure out since sites online keep saying all different kinds of things and I respect you and your knowledge on HIV so I figured I would come here and ask you. If you could just answer that question for me then I'll be done with all my questions, thank you so much for helping me and sorry if I was an annoyance, i'm just trying to learn about risks so I don't continue to worry.

[Teak]

Your questions were answered. Go back and reread the replies that were given.

[Collegedummy]

I was hoping that someone with good knowledge about HIV could answer my last clarifying questions that I asked in the post directly above this one. Teak and Lizzie Lou I know you guys know a lot about HIV and I respect your opinions, if you guys could answer my final questions above I would be very grateful and could move on from all of this, thank you!

[Collegedummy]

Thanks guys for all your comments. Once I saw the cut and the blood on my hand and the other guy bleeding and knowing I got some blood on the hand with the cut I just started to freak. And then I went online to see if it was a risk and while doing that I came along information saying that being cut by something with fresh HIV+ blood on it is a risk of getting HIV if it was a deep enough cut to bleed so that freaked me out as well so I just wanted to get the right information on all this.

So correct me if I'm wrong then so I make sure I have this right, my situation I mentioned in my first post dealing with basketball and my cut and possibly getting the other guys blood in my open cut is no risk of HIV or very low since it's not a deep bleeding cut and not much blood would of gotten in? and then secondly you can't get HIV from getting cut by something with fresh HIV+ blood, even if your cut bleeds?

These are my last questions, I really appreciate all the help and information you guys have given me, if you guys could answer these last questions of mine I would be very grateful and more educated about all this so I don't freak everytime I get a cut! Thank you so much!

[Teak]

Yeah I did Lizzie Lou, thanks for the correction. ;)

[Serge1975]

Gosh, did you use knives or scissors playing basket?!  Teak is right, get over it. Your risk resides purely in your imagination. Stay off team sports if every couple of blood causes such emotional distress, or just tell yourself that your fears are rubbish and enjoy life.

[LIZZIE LOU]

slow down teak...you left out a word...lol

HIV is NOT transmitted off environmental surfaces outside it's host

[Teak]

HIV is transmitted off environment surfaces outside its host.

[Collegedummy]

Thanks for your comment and help. I was just worried because when I saw the dried blood on and around my cut after the game I was afraid that since I must of cut myself playing basketball somehow that when I got cut and the cut was bleeding that I got the other guys blood in my cut since I did get some of his blood on that hand.

And then from my second question... I couldn't get HIV(or the chances are really low of getting HIV) from getting cut with something that had fresh HIV+ blood on it, even if my cut bled from this?

Again thank you for your help, I welcome more comments from you and others that can help me with all this, thanks!

[Serge1975]

No, there is nothing to worry about. The risk is virtually absent. At least I have studied various stats on HIV contraction, and have seen not a single case of contraction by a cut-to-cut contact. This is explained by the following factors: 1) unless you suffer from severe thrombocytopenia or hemophilia (guess you are not if you play basketball), your blood should coagulate in a matter of minutes. Dried blood provides a reliable protection against intruding infections - that' s one of the reasons why it happens (apart from stemming blood loss, obviously); 2) the virus has to get into your blood stream, and that's virtually unthinkable when it comes to superficial cuts like the one you describe. No wonder that virtually all cases of HIV contraction through skin involved a hollow needle - this way it is really possible for HIV to get into the blood stream. So, I would definitely not lose any sleep over it, no need for HIV testing. Stay safe.