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HIV exposure from blood on toilet seat?
About 2 weeks ago I went to use the ladies toilet at work. Upon lifting the toilet cover I saw there was blood on the toilet seat. I was grossed out so I left and went to another toilet.
I lifted the seat cover from the side, so I don’t think I touched the blood. Or at least I didn’t see any blood on my hands or on the toilet paper I later used. But now I’m freaking out. What if I incidentally touched some blood, didn’t realize it, and then went and wiped myself after using the toilet? Could I be at risk?
I got gingivitis and swollen lymph nodes under the jaw on one side about 10 days after this happened and I’m worried this could be related to seroconversion. Hopefully it’s only a dental issue…
I know HIV doesn’t live on dry blood but this blood looked fresh. However, there wasn’t anyone in the toilet when I went in, so it would have been there quite a few seconds or couple of minutes maybe.
Was I at risk? Thank you
I lifted the seat cover from the side, so I don’t think I touched the blood. Or at least I didn’t see any blood on my hands or on the toilet paper I later used. But now I’m freaking out. What if I incidentally touched some blood, didn’t realize it, and then went and wiped myself after using the toilet? Could I be at risk?
I got gingivitis and swollen lymph nodes under the jaw on one side about 10 days after this happened and I’m worried this could be related to seroconversion. Hopefully it’s only a dental issue…
I know HIV doesn’t live on dry blood but this blood looked fresh. However, there wasn’t anyone in the toilet when I went in, so it would have been there quite a few seconds or couple of minutes maybe.
Was I at risk? Thank you
You asked another question that was also in the area of nothing to do with actual risks and had the answer that the only way adults get HIV is to have unprotected vaginal or anal sex or to share IV needles to inject drugs. all else is not a risk and in particular objects and surfaces. You can't just touch HIV and get it. If you continuously have a lot of anxiety about this, consider talking to someone about anxiety.
1 Comments
Thank you for your comment. I wasn’t really worried about it until I developed the swollen lymph nodes and gingivitis 10 days after. You’re right, it’s probably more anxiety than anything else. And time to see a dentist. Thank you!
Hey,
I can’t see this putting you at risk at all!
As you know HIV is fragile and upon contact with air it begins to die.
It’s also not very infectious so needs lots of the virus active before you are infected. So even if it was fresh it would not be infectious.
Also it would need an entry to your body, which it didn’t have.
In short this was not a risk for HIV so whatever is happening now is down to a separate medical issue.
You do not need to test for HIV.
I can’t see this putting you at risk at all!
As you know HIV is fragile and upon contact with air it begins to die.
It’s also not very infectious so needs lots of the virus active before you are infected. So even if it was fresh it would not be infectious.
Also it would need an entry to your body, which it didn’t have.
In short this was not a risk for HIV so whatever is happening now is down to a separate medical issue.
You do not need to test for HIV.
1 Comments
Thank you very much! Really helps seeing it from another perspective. Much appreciated!
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