How long does HIV stay active?

Is there an approx. known time length that HIV can stay active (ex. few drops of blood) outside the human body on an object?

[Teak]

It doesn't stay active outside it's host.

[cool_guy_369]

So how does it work with a needle then?

It has to

1) be out of it's host

2) be exposed to air

to become unactive, correct?

[Teak]

It's the contents of the syringe you have to be concerned about.

[cool_guy_369]

yea the infected blood you mean, in a needle?
but how's that different than on an object?

[Teak]

I said, It's the contents of the syringe you have to be concerned about.

[cool_guy_369]

can you give an example of what you mean by that?

[NickOne7]

If infected blood is in a syringe it has NEVER been exposed to air, therfore it is still active and able to infect when it is INJECTED into someones blood stream.

[cool_guy_369]

ok that makes sense, so it takes essentially a second or two for the HIV to become unactive? once exposed to air.

[Teak]

Drawing blood, accidently sticking your self and infusing some of the contents from the syringe into your veins. Since the data collection started in 1985 to today there is on average of 150 people that have contracted HIV in the heathcare field todate. Considering in the US there are over 900,000 exposures a years. Now multiply that by 25 years and you can see that it is rare for someone to contract HIV in that manner.

[NickOne7]

Outside the host = Inactive Virus

[cool_guy_369]

Teak, there's actually 900,000 exposures a YEAR to HIV in the healthcare field? and only 150 people ever infected or 150 per year?

[tomMulligan]

Which part of this sentence you didn't understand " Once the virus is outside the host it becomes in.active / The virus cannot live in in.animate objects" ? . You're worrying needlessly. It's time for you to accept and move on from that incident.

[NickOne7]

150 in 25 years

[NickOne7]

sorry forgot the ?

[NickOne7]

About 150 U.S. healthcare workers
have been infected on the job by
HIV since 1981.

[cool_guy_369]

Is there any studies done to prove the virus becomes inactive right away?

[Teak]

150 ever in 25 years.  Since 1985 when they started collecting data on healthcare occupational exposures.