HIV Anxiety

[bloomingfox]

Hi, I have a terrible fear of contracting HIV, everywhere I look I see marks that I straight away assume to be blood. I felt quite good when I woke up today I thought I would clean the house from top to bottom, have a spring clean. Everything was fine until I sprayed round with air freshener and then noticed that there was an orangey/red mark on the plastic top of the can, straight away I thought it must be blood and maybe when I sprayed I had sprayed the blood around my house. I got some rubber gloves and wiped it off and then thought maybe I should have just left it because now the gloves are contaminated, and the washing up bowl. When I stop and try to think rationally I thought the only place the can has been is under my kitchen sink, so it was probably something from there but I can't find anything that colour, also the chances that it is HIV contaminated blood are very small, then I remembered about three weeks ago I went shopping and one of the carrier bags I used had a bloody coloured mark on it and maybe it was from that, my mind is racing trying to think what it must be and wether I have now sprayed it around my house, and some of it must of landed on me. Please someone help I am going crazy, just want to get on with my life and not keep thinking about these things.

[cj29]

I would have to agree with greenlydia.  Thankfully, HIV is extremely hard to get and what you described puts you at no risk.  Do you have a history of anxiety related to your health?  Do you often worry about this?  If so, have you ever sought help for your anxiety?  

[RubyWitch]

I'm sorry if this sounds harsh, but with the incredible wealth of information out there about HIV, I find it astonishing that so many people remain ignorant, (Which is NOT the same as stupid) about just how extremely difficult it is to contract HIV.
First I will tell you that the "blood" you have found on your can of room spray, which I am damn near positive it never was, would never have survived. The HIV virus CANNOT live outside its host! (A human body) You cannot contract HIV from any environmental surface, which includes table tops, toilets, shopping cart handles, bus seats, eating utensils even if they have just been used by someone who IS HIV+ and the list is quite endless.

There ARE three ways to contract HIV:
1) UNPROTECTED anal/vaginal sex WITH an HIV+ partner
2) Sharing drug works with a known HIV+ person
3) Mother to UNBORN child

Since I will assume you do not fall into any of those categories, YOU HAD NO RISK!

NONE.

Your HIV anxiety is out of control and I would first suggest you contact your local HIV/AIDS Hotline and get the FACTS. If that does not help you gain the knowledge and reassurance you need to MOVE ON, then your next step is getting into some therapy to work on why you have all these irrational fears.And they ARE irrational.
You can continue to live your life cowering in fear or you can empower yourself with knowledge. It is now up to you.
Peace
Greenlydia