Is this an HIV risk or anxiety?

[bloomingfox]

This is a long story but here goes! Today I had the builders come in to fit some lino in my bathroom and a new shower screen, at one point the guy said 'oh great I hate it when I stab myself with the stanley knife' so I said 'Oh do you need a plaster' he said 'no it's not that bad, not as bad as whoever fitted your bath panel before, there's blood all over the back of it'. I started to panic as I have a blood phobia and when I looked at the panel (which he had removed to fit the lino) it had about three blobs of dry blood on it, when he was about to put it back my mum said 'oh I will clean that because she has a thing about blood' and the guy said 'don't worry I will do it' he then pulled some of my toilet paper off and tried to rub it off but it wouldn't come off then he tried with a baby wipe and it still wouldn't come off, he then said 'it feels like it has glue or something on top of it because it has gone hard' he then put it back in place and sealed it all up. It must have been there from when the panel was fitted originally 3 years ago or about 7 months ago when we had some work done. I then felt that the flat was dirty and contaminated, as he had possibly touched it when he removed the panel and then proceeded to do the work in my bathroom and touch everything, plus he moved the furniture out of my lounge so I could have some carpet fitted. Both my mum and husband say I am being paranoid and that the blood was probably from someone who was HIV negative and that it is dry blood so that nothing could happen, also that they couldn't see any blood from when the builder stabbed himself with the stanley blade and maybe he was exaggeratingg, and didn't draw blood, am I paranoid or is my whole flat now dirty? Really worried for my childrenn

[bloomingfox]

Thanks for your answer it is the most sympathetic, straight to the point and informative reply I have had on here and has really made me think twice about all the risks I see in my home, I will definately have a happier stress free life thanks to your comment.

[beth0277]

I agree with greenlydia. This is definitely anxiety and there is no way that you could have contracted HIV from the dried blood. Try to realize that what you are thinking is not a possibility and if you can't get it out of your head then I recommend talking to a psychiatrist about it. Health anxiety can absolutely take over your life-it has mine.

Best of luck :)

[RubyWitch]

It is, without a shadow of a doubt, anxiety.............HIV anxiety, to be exact.
There is, and never was, ANY risk of HIV from the old blood on the bath panel nor ANY risk from the current builder who may have cut himself with his stanley blade.

Your flat is NOT "dirty," or "contaminated," and your children are absolutely NOT at risk!

I would strongly urge you to contact your local HIV/AIDS Hotline and request an information packet on how HIV is spread. I think it will help you a great deal if you understand just how difficult it actually is to contract HIV.

I will get you started by telling you the three ways in which HIV can be contracted.

1) Unprotected anal/vaginal sex with an HIV+ partner
2) Sharing drug works (needles) with an HIV+ person
3) HIV+ mother to unborn child

That's it.
HIV must be transmitted INSIDE the body. You cannot contract HIV from environmental surfaces, like your bath panel, or funiture or toilet seats or door knobs. The virus is killed almost instantly upon contact with air.

Please stop worrying, get yourself educated about HIV, educate your children and enjoy that nice new bathroom!

Peace
Greenlydia