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hiv dirty urinal
Hello doctor:
I am very worried because my penis came into contact with a dirty urinal at a club for several seconds after accidentally being shoved. i dont specifically recall seeing blood on the urinal but it is very possible given the kind of environment the club was in. Besides coming into contact with the urinal itself i believe my penis also touched some dirty urinal water. Do you think i am at risk for HIV infection? Do you suggest a PEP treatment and or do you suggest STD testing? Your prompt response Would be most appreciated. Thank you so much.
I am very worried because my penis came into contact with a dirty urinal at a club for several seconds after accidentally being shoved. i dont specifically recall seeing blood on the urinal but it is very possible given the kind of environment the club was in. Besides coming into contact with the urinal itself i believe my penis also touched some dirty urinal water. Do you think i am at risk for HIV infection? Do you suggest a PEP treatment and or do you suggest STD testing? Your prompt response Would be most appreciated. Thank you so much.
Thank you so much for your timely response, i will admit that i am a germaphobe and am a bit paranoid regarding contagion. Fortunately these two events are unusual for me and these worried episodes are not common for me. I must also admit that my fears over STD's have escalated past what is considered normal because recently a few different people i personally know have become infected. The urinal and urinal water in question were very dirty and it was difficult to judge what kind of bodily fluids may have been in that filth. I sincerely appreciate your concern and will be sure to seek professional help if these worried episodes continue or become more common. Once again thank you so much for all your help doctor.
MEDICAL PROFESSIONAL
Welcome to the forum. Sometimes enough information is provided in the title of a question to answer it correctly. Having only read "HIV dirty urinal", I can reassure you 100%. If you didn't have unprotected sex with someone on the urinal, you are not at risk for HIV.
Now I have read the question itself. Nobody in the world ever caught HIV from the sort of exposure you describe. It is statistically unlikely any HIV infected secretions were on the urinal; and by the way, urine doesn't contain the virus and doesn't transmit HIV. You do not need testing for HIV or any other STDs, and you absolutely do not need PEP. Anyway, you wouldn't be able to find a doctor or clinic willing to prescribe it based on this non-exposure event.
Both this question and the one on the herpes forum recently suggest that you are abnormally obsessed with contagion, i.e. the potential for acquiring infections through trivial exposures. This can be an early sign of serious mental illness. If these are isolated events, perhaps there is no worry. But if you are constantly worrying about such things, counseling may be in order. I suggest it from compassion, not criticism. (For an example of where such symptoms can lead, rent "The Aviator", the film biography of Howard Hughes.)
Regards-- HHH, MD
Now I have read the question itself. Nobody in the world ever caught HIV from the sort of exposure you describe. It is statistically unlikely any HIV infected secretions were on the urinal; and by the way, urine doesn't contain the virus and doesn't transmit HIV. You do not need testing for HIV or any other STDs, and you absolutely do not need PEP. Anyway, you wouldn't be able to find a doctor or clinic willing to prescribe it based on this non-exposure event.
Both this question and the one on the herpes forum recently suggest that you are abnormally obsessed with contagion, i.e. the potential for acquiring infections through trivial exposures. This can be an early sign of serious mental illness. If these are isolated events, perhaps there is no worry. But if you are constantly worrying about such things, counseling may be in order. I suggest it from compassion, not criticism. (For an example of where such symptoms can lead, rent "The Aviator", the film biography of Howard Hughes.)
Regards-- HHH, MD
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