HIV Potential Risk?

[manchester281]

Around 3 weeks ago during a game of football, one of the opposition players got a cut to his leg.  After the game finished I noticed I had blood on my hand, and it was not my own. I guess when i collided with him during the game i got his blood on my hand. I washed it off as soon as i saw it  Is there a risk of getting HIV if he had the virus? I do have the habit of biting my nails and the skin by my nails and sometimes I get a tiny bit of bleeding, so is there a chance of infection of the blood came into contact with that area?
My blood is being tested now for HIV as I am a regular blood doner, this is 3 weeks after exposure, so if I get a negative result can I rest easy?  I have had a bit of a sore / croaky throat followed by cough which came on about 2 weeks after exposure so that has made me panic a little.
Your response is appreciated.

[manchester281]

Thankyou for that, that puts my mind at rest.  There is a lot of mis-information out there about HIV which can cause un-necessary panic.
Just one final follow up question - I actually live in Ecuador, and donate with the Red Cross - is that PCR RNA on the donated blood pretty standard in most countries?

[Dr. Jose Gonzalez-Garcia, MD, MRCGP, PhD]

Hello,
Thank you so much for your post.  I honestly think that you are totally overreacting.  There sis no need for you to be concerned as you are not going to get infected with HIV that way; and in any case it is highly unlikely that this man in question is HIV positive in the first place; and this is statistically the case.  But even in the unlikley event that he was, no risk for you.  Please, forget it!  
The blood donation service tests HIV1, HIV2, Hep B and Hep C by using a PCR RNA test, whcih only requires 7 days window period.  Therefore this would have been picked up at 3 weeks.  Relax and forget it!!
Best wishes,
Dr José