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Blood in Sink
Doctor,
Thanks for the great service you provide. My question does not correspond to others in the archives and I am hoping you can help.
Two days ago I went to a sports bar for a couple of beers....not a strip club or anything sexual in nature. Upon going to the restroom, I urinated, washed my hands in the sink and dried them. When I went to drop the used handtowels in the garbage container, I noticed that a towel had been dropped in (had to be very recent, as it was on top) that was soaked in blood...very red with stains. I looked in the sink and saw multiple droplets of blood still in the sink that I had not noticed when washing.
I looked at my hands and did not notice blood on them, but I am very concerned that I might have touched blood either in the sink while washing, on the knob or the towel dispenser. I remember (and I know this is gross) picking my nose about two minutes later and am now really scared that traces of blood fromt the bathroom might have been on my finger and exposed to the mucous membrane of my nose.
Is there any chance I could be infected with HIV....or even hepatitis from this event? I have worked really hard to stay out of situations that trigger my fears of HIV (meaning abstaining from lapdances and sexual contact), and now I fear that it is all for naught. I would appreciate your response.
Thanks for the great service you provide. My question does not correspond to others in the archives and I am hoping you can help.
Two days ago I went to a sports bar for a couple of beers....not a strip club or anything sexual in nature. Upon going to the restroom, I urinated, washed my hands in the sink and dried them. When I went to drop the used handtowels in the garbage container, I noticed that a towel had been dropped in (had to be very recent, as it was on top) that was soaked in blood...very red with stains. I looked in the sink and saw multiple droplets of blood still in the sink that I had not noticed when washing.
I looked at my hands and did not notice blood on them, but I am very concerned that I might have touched blood either in the sink while washing, on the knob or the towel dispenser. I remember (and I know this is gross) picking my nose about two minutes later and am now really scared that traces of blood fromt the bathroom might have been on my finger and exposed to the mucous membrane of my nose.
Is there any chance I could be infected with HIV....or even hepatitis from this event? I have worked really hard to stay out of situations that trigger my fears of HIV (meaning abstaining from lapdances and sexual contact), and now I fear that it is all for naught. I would appreciate your response.
MEDICAL PROFESSIONAL
Good grief. Of course there is no risk of HIV or hepatitis. If HIV could be transmitted that way, the infection would be 100 times more common than it is, and there would be cases in people without sexual and injection drug use risks.
You have previously asked questions about ridiculously low risk situations. This is your last one. I will delete any others in the future, without response.
No replies or follow-up comments, please. This thread is over.
HHH, MD
You have previously asked questions about ridiculously low risk situations. This is your last one. I will delete any others in the future, without response.
No replies or follow-up comments, please. This thread is over.
HHH, MD
to follow up......there was a good bit of blood in the sink, not just a few drops....sort of splattered all over one side of the sink. Also, even though I looked at my hands, I don't think I examined them closely....could have been blood on them that a casual glance did not reveal.
You are reading content posted in the HIV - Prevention Forum
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Frequency of HIV testing depends on your risk.
Post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP) may help prevent HIV infection.
