Aa
Doctor please answer!
Doctor, I wanted to ask about something that happened this morning to me. It may be dumb of me to do but I did it and wondering if I need to test for anything. Heres what happened.
I thought my roommate used my toothbrush last night and this morning I forgot and used it not thinking. He was also shaving in the bathroom last night near my toothbrush and I know he cut himself a few times. But not sure if anything got on my brush when he was cleaning up. That is my first question what would I be at risk for if he used my toothbrush and if it had his saliva or blood on it.
Next I was freaking out about HBV or HCV and some over HIV but I know HIV is rendared inactive outside the host. So (Here is the stupid part) I had a few HBV rapid tests I ordered online a while back and I asked my friend to do one, He pricked his finger and didnt knoe how to use the pipette to collect the blood (Little plastic thing that ***** the blood up so it can be transfered to the test strip) So I did it for him. I was very carful in sucking it up and putting it on the test strip. I did this a few times to get enough blood. On the last blood drop it had a tiny air bubble in the pipette tube so when I went to squeeze out the last small drop it kind of splattered there were some specks on the test strip the other specks who knows. I all of a sudden started thinking maybe the splatters went into my eyes, nose or mouth. The home test was neg for HBV but not sure if he had an exposure in the window or not. Not sure if he has HIV or HCV or even HBV. My question is if some of the specks from the blood splatter got into my nose, mouth or eyes would this cause infection? Would a lot of blood be needed for infection of HBV or HCV or even HIV?
I didnt use gloves but didnt get any on my hands and didnt have any bleeding cuts on my hands. I washed my hands after I was dont transfering the blood to the test.
Please help as I was free of all stds and hiv but know I am not sure.
I thought my roommate used my toothbrush last night and this morning I forgot and used it not thinking. He was also shaving in the bathroom last night near my toothbrush and I know he cut himself a few times. But not sure if anything got on my brush when he was cleaning up. That is my first question what would I be at risk for if he used my toothbrush and if it had his saliva or blood on it.
Next I was freaking out about HBV or HCV and some over HIV but I know HIV is rendared inactive outside the host. So (Here is the stupid part) I had a few HBV rapid tests I ordered online a while back and I asked my friend to do one, He pricked his finger and didnt knoe how to use the pipette to collect the blood (Little plastic thing that ***** the blood up so it can be transfered to the test strip) So I did it for him. I was very carful in sucking it up and putting it on the test strip. I did this a few times to get enough blood. On the last blood drop it had a tiny air bubble in the pipette tube so when I went to squeeze out the last small drop it kind of splattered there were some specks on the test strip the other specks who knows. I all of a sudden started thinking maybe the splatters went into my eyes, nose or mouth. The home test was neg for HBV but not sure if he had an exposure in the window or not. Not sure if he has HIV or HCV or even HBV. My question is if some of the specks from the blood splatter got into my nose, mouth or eyes would this cause infection? Would a lot of blood be needed for infection of HBV or HCV or even HIV?
I didnt use gloves but didnt get any on my hands and didnt have any bleeding cuts on my hands. I washed my hands after I was dont transfering the blood to the test.
Please help as I was free of all stds and hiv but know I am not sure.
MEDICAL PROFESSIONAL
The answers are obvious from my comments above, but here it is explicitly: Correct and yes.
Last post, So I do not need to get tested for HIV, HCV or HBV from this exposure? And I can safely sleep with my girlfriend?
Thanks for your time and again this will be my last post
Thanks for your time and again this will be my last post
MEDICAL PROFESSIONAL
This doesn't change my opinion or advice. 1) Probbably not. 2) Bood in the mouth could result in infection, but not very likely. 3) No risk. 4) It takes a lot less than one drop. But you still probably were not exposed to enough to worry about. Your entire question is based on far-out, unlikely speculation. Take my word for it: there is no risk here.
That will be all for this thread.
That will be all for this thread.
Thank you for your reply, To clear things up a bit i'll break it down a bit better for you, I believe He used my toothbrush last night and then I used it this morning. After I used the toothbrush I got scared of getting infected with one of the three infections I mentioned before. So let me ask a straight question Doc.
1. Would using this toothbrush this morning after he used it last night be able to infect me with HBV, HCV or HIV? Not sure if he had blood in his mouth.
Second, after I used the toothbrush I got scared as stated above. I have a few HBV tests I ordered online for home use. I asked him to try the test. (The test works by putting 5 drops of blood on to a test strip and waiting for the results) They give you a small plastic device with the home rapid test to suck up the blood from your finger and transfer it to the test strip. He did not know how to use it to suck up the blood so I did it for him. I sucked up one drop at a time and transfered it to the test 5 times, I was carful not to get any blood on my hands etc. BUT when I was squeezing the last drop of blood on to the test strip it splattered due to a air bubble in the plastic sucker. The blood drop splattered on to the test. So here is my question regarding this information.
2. As the blood drop splattered onto the test, If some of the splatter came in contact with my mouth, eyes or nose would this cause infection of HIV, HCV or HBV? Most of the splatter went on the test card, but the little specks may have entered my mucus membrains. Please give your honest oppinion sir. The sucker basicly "Spit the blood drop out and caused a splatter?
3. Also I took one of the home tests (5 minutes) before I helped him with his. So i pricked my finger to take the test. Would my finger be healed so no virus could enter my blood stream if my finger was pricked 5 minutes earlyer and no blood was coming out?
4. Does it take just a small amount of blood (1 drop) for transmission of HIV, HCV or HBV to ocurr or would it take much more blood than that?
Thank you so much Doc for answering my questions
God Bless You
1. Would using this toothbrush this morning after he used it last night be able to infect me with HBV, HCV or HIV? Not sure if he had blood in his mouth.
Second, after I used the toothbrush I got scared as stated above. I have a few HBV tests I ordered online for home use. I asked him to try the test. (The test works by putting 5 drops of blood on to a test strip and waiting for the results) They give you a small plastic device with the home rapid test to suck up the blood from your finger and transfer it to the test strip. He did not know how to use it to suck up the blood so I did it for him. I sucked up one drop at a time and transfered it to the test 5 times, I was carful not to get any blood on my hands etc. BUT when I was squeezing the last drop of blood on to the test strip it splattered due to a air bubble in the plastic sucker. The blood drop splattered on to the test. So here is my question regarding this information.
2. As the blood drop splattered onto the test, If some of the splatter came in contact with my mouth, eyes or nose would this cause infection of HIV, HCV or HBV? Most of the splatter went on the test card, but the little specks may have entered my mucus membrains. Please give your honest oppinion sir. The sucker basicly "Spit the blood drop out and caused a splatter?
3. Also I took one of the home tests (5 minutes) before I helped him with his. So i pricked my finger to take the test. Would my finger be healed so no virus could enter my blood stream if my finger was pricked 5 minutes earlyer and no blood was coming out?
4. Does it take just a small amount of blood (1 drop) for transmission of HIV, HCV or HBV to ocurr or would it take much more blood than that?
Thank you so much Doc for answering my questions
God Bless You
MEDICAL PROFESSIONAL
I'm not sure I fully understand the details of what happened, but as best I can tell there was no realistic chance of sufficient blood exposure to result in transmission of any blood-borne infection. Further, if your roommate isn't at high risk of these infections -- i.e. not a gay man or injection drug user -- it is unlikely he is infected. That said, this is an STD site; while Dr. Hook and I are experts in sexual transmission of various infections, I don't try to keep up with research on blood-borne transmission. But I'm quite sure there is no risk and you did not need to be tested to start and had no significant risk of becoming infected as a result of the testing procedures.
Regards-- HHH, MD
Regards-- HHH, MD
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