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HIV risk from unsanitized manicure tools?
First of all, thank you for taking the time to read through this and answer! Very very much appreciated!
Last week I had a manicure; I never do really (it has been 5 years from the last one) so I didn’t quite know what to expect. Thinking back on that, I’m now concerned that I didn’t see the technician sterilize the tools. I asked and she said they put them in some sterilizing boxes, but I didn’t actually see her take them from there. If the tools hadn’t been properly sterilized, could I be at risk of HIV if they had been used on a positive person before? At least 5-10 min would have passed, I’d guess.
I read about a Brazilian woman getting HIV this way and it’s freaking me out…
Thank you so much!
Last week I had a manicure; I never do really (it has been 5 years from the last one) so I didn’t quite know what to expect. Thinking back on that, I’m now concerned that I didn’t see the technician sterilize the tools. I asked and she said they put them in some sterilizing boxes, but I didn’t actually see her take them from there. If the tools hadn’t been properly sterilized, could I be at risk of HIV if they had been used on a positive person before? At least 5-10 min would have passed, I’d guess.
I read about a Brazilian woman getting HIV this way and it’s freaking me out…
Thank you so much!
Your situation involves personal contact with an object in air (blood, maybe saliva, etc. ). You will be happy to learn that you had no risk, because you can't get hiv from personal contact except unprotected penetrating vaginal or anal with a penis, neither of which you did and you didn't share hollow needles to inject with which is the only other way to acquire hiv - there are only 3 ways to get hiv. Analysis of large numbers of infected people over the 40 years of hiv history has proven that people don't get hiv in the way you are worried is a risk.
HIV is a fragile virus in air or saliva and is effectively instantly dead in either air or saliva so the WORST that could happen is dead virus rubbed you, and obviously anything which is dead cannot live again so you are good. Blood and cuts would not be relevant in your situation since the hiv has become effectively dead, so you don't have to worry about them to be sure that you are safe.
There is no reason for a person to test when they are safe. The advice took into consideration that the other person might be positive, so move on and enjoy life instead of thinking about this non-event. hiv prevention is straightforward since there are only 3 ways you can become infected, so next time you wonder if you had a risk, ask yourself this QUESTION. "Did I do any of the 3?" Then after you say "No, I didn't" you will know that it's time to move on back to your happy life.
No one got hiv from what you did during 40 years of hiv history and no one will get it in the next 40 years of your life either. You can do what you did any time and be safe.
You should stop Googling the silly idea that people get hiv from manicures.
HIV is a fragile virus in air or saliva and is effectively instantly dead in either air or saliva so the WORST that could happen is dead virus rubbed you, and obviously anything which is dead cannot live again so you are good. Blood and cuts would not be relevant in your situation since the hiv has become effectively dead, so you don't have to worry about them to be sure that you are safe.
There is no reason for a person to test when they are safe. The advice took into consideration that the other person might be positive, so move on and enjoy life instead of thinking about this non-event. hiv prevention is straightforward since there are only 3 ways you can become infected, so next time you wonder if you had a risk, ask yourself this QUESTION. "Did I do any of the 3?" Then after you say "No, I didn't" you will know that it's time to move on back to your happy life.
No one got hiv from what you did during 40 years of hiv history and no one will get it in the next 40 years of your life either. You can do what you did any time and be safe.
You should stop Googling the silly idea that people get hiv from manicures.
7 Comments
Thank you very much for your through answer, AnxiousNoMore! I’m much more relieved!
May I ask you, though, what about that Brazilian case, what are your thoughts? It must have been a really particular situation, I guess…
Thanks!
May I ask you, though, what about that Brazilian case, what are your thoughts? It must have been a really particular situation, I guess…
Thanks!
I don't know this specific case, but we don't know all of the details of this person's life. Let's pretend it happened one time - that someone got infected with manicure tools. That puts your odds of being infected - IF the previous person was HIV+, which most people are not - at about 1 in 100 million.
You are more likely to be killed by a golf ball or by a vending machine than to get infected in this manner.
Please keep this highly unlikely event in perspective. You legitimately had no risk and shouldn't even think about events like this.
Just don't have unprotected intercourse with someone of unknown HIV status, and don't share intravenous drug needles, and you will NEVER have to worry about HIV.
You are more likely to be killed by a golf ball or by a vending machine than to get infected in this manner.
Please keep this highly unlikely event in perspective. You legitimately had no risk and shouldn't even think about events like this.
Just don't have unprotected intercourse with someone of unknown HIV status, and don't share intravenous drug needles, and you will NEVER have to worry about HIV.
Thank you, CurfewX. This is really helpful. It’s such a relief to see other people’s perspectives, I think I’m in a rabbit-hole of anxiety over this and some reassurance is so good to hear.
I keep blaming myself for going there (I never really do much to take care of myself) and for not being more inquisitive about their sterilization practices - e.g., I should have known better, etc.
Hopefully your comments will help me turn a corner for the better! Thank you again, really.
I keep blaming myself for going there (I never really do much to take care of myself) and for not being more inquisitive about their sterilization practices - e.g., I should have known better, etc.
Hopefully your comments will help me turn a corner for the better! Thank you again, really.
THe Brazilian case is probably fake. Maybe positive before they went there. It's a waste of your time to think about it. Ever watch a football or hockey game where people get cut after a collision? No one there or in any other sport at any age got hiv from non-sexual contact.
Thank you, AnxiousNoMore! You raise a very good point about the collisions!
Hadn’t people contracted HIV from dental equipment in the past, though? I guess that’s much more invasive, though… what do you think?
Hadn’t people contracted HIV from dental equipment in the past, though? I guess that’s much more invasive, though… what do you think?
Reread all of my advice.
Since you didn't answer the QUESTION I will do it for you. "No when I went to the dentist's office the procedure didn't involve unprotected penetrating anal or vaginal sex with a penis, nor did it involve sharing hollow needles to inject with so I had no risk and should move on."
Since you didn't answer the QUESTION I will do it for you. "No when I went to the dentist's office the procedure didn't involve unprotected penetrating anal or vaginal sex with a penis, nor did it involve sharing hollow needles to inject with so I had no risk and should move on."
You’re right, thank you so much AnxiousNoMore! I’ll try to move on from this unproductive bout of anxiety! Thank you!
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