risk assessment, please.

[asmuk]

Hello Doctors/Friends,

I went for a hiv duo test two weeks ago at a private clinic in London, it was a DUO test (antibody/antigen), came back negative. The trouble is:

After the injection (to draw blood for the test), the doctor had asked me to press hard with a cotton swab, and before leaving the clinic i asked the doctor what to do with the swab, - to which he replied throw it into the yellow box over there.

I threw it in, and later on got a thought that maybe i was stung by a needle in that container. I did not feel anything while throwing the swab in, no pain, no blood, no reflex.

I keep telling myself that if i was pricked by an infected needle in the dustbin, my hand would have jerked back in reflex, there would be pain, etc.

i spoke to the doctor a few days later, he showed me the bin, and yes it does have used needles in it, but he says they never let it fill more than half, and had i been stung, i would have known.

in any case, as of now i am worried like hell, is there any hiv risk in this situation?

wouldn't i feel pain if a needle stung me?

has anyone ever heard of an hiv infection been transmitted by throwing somethin into the clinics needle dustbin?

please advise, thankyou and happy new year.

[auntiejessi]

I agree.  You also posted a couple of weeks ago about stds from urine on a toilet seat, and have posted in the HIV forum about contaminated needles a couple of months ago.

You had protected sex with a CSW, and sort of started freaking out at that point.  I say this with kindness and not criticism, but it sounds like you have real anxiety over this, and perhaps its time to seek some help for it.

Aj

[Dallasfan]

Even if you did get a small needle stick from that event the risk is essentially nil. The CDC has event downgraded their recommendation for treating health care workers that have needle sticks with the PEP (post exposure prophylaxis) of anti- retroviral drugs. I would not even worry a bit over this. Take care.