Hiv RIsk from Cut

[antny012]

today I was having a yard sale and i has helping a young lady with an item. as I was assisting here her hand rubbed against mine. when i looked at her hand i noticed a band aid on her finger. if there was blood on the band aid or if the bandage moved and exposed her cut would there be a risk if her cut or bandage blood rubbed against a scratch or popped pimple sore on my arm? if not why? is this not blood to blood contact? I read through the forums and sometimes there are No Risk answers and sometimes I see that there is a possibility. The bottom line is if her cut was bleeding and rubbed against a scratch or pimple sore on my hand or arm is there a risk if I was exposed to her blood?

[Edward W Hook, MD]

Thanks for your comment.  We do our best to help.

The presence of the poppedpimple oes not change things- still no risk  

Take care. EWH

[antny012]

Thanks that pretty much clears things up for me. I get the part where surface contact with a persons cut poses no risk on intact skin, but in my situation I am assuming it still poses no risk even though I had a scratch and a sore from I popped pimple. If her bandage rubbed against the scratch or sore with blood on the bandage or her cut may have been exposed and her blood went directly into my sore or scratch is this still 0 risk? ( I did wash my arm and hands about 5 min after) So pretty much unless your cut requires stitches and someone pores blood on the wound you have 0 risk to contact HIV via small cuts , sores etc.....?

I was reading the posts and I agree I would get tired of saying the same thing over and over again. I would rather give you guys my $22 than go pay a co-pay to my doc that jams patients together and I have to wait 1hr . I do up the questions I ask help some people out.

[Edward W Hook, MD]

Welcome to the forum.  This was a no risk event.  Surface contact with another person's existing cut will not lead to HIV.  HIV is transmitted in adults only through unprotected penetrative ano-genital sexual contact or injection of infected material DEEP into tissue.  The chance that this woman ha HIV is very, very low and even if she was, HIV is not transmitted though surface contact of the sort you describe.  It makes no difference in the cut was wet or dry, scabbed or not.

As far as when we say "No risk" or when we say "virtually no risk" or "miniscule chance" of infection, please realize that these answers are the same.  We answer thousands of questions every year an many of them are quite similar.   We get tired of saying the same thing over an over again.  

I hope this reply is helpful.  Let me repeat, this was a no risk event. There is no reason for concern an no reason to consider testing related to this occurrence.  EWH