Aa
HIV risk of liquid exposure to small cut
I was at a free clinic and went to the bathroom to give a urine sample. I put the sample materials on the sink counter and completed the urine sample.
After finishing I noticed the counter was covered with a moderate amount of water/liquid which was touching the sample materials including soapy wet wipe I used to clean my penis before giving the sample.
I touched the liquid and smelled it because I noticed an odd smell in the bathroom. It's possible that the liquid smelled like semen or some other body secretion. I touched it several more times and smelled it to make sure what it smelled like.
I left and a few hours later I noticed some pain in my finger where I touched the liquid and noticed a small cut. Also I worried about the wet wipe which I used to clean myself.
The clinic was a little sketchy looking, is there any risk of me contracting HIV in this manner.
Thank you.
After finishing I noticed the counter was covered with a moderate amount of water/liquid which was touching the sample materials including soapy wet wipe I used to clean my penis before giving the sample.
I touched the liquid and smelled it because I noticed an odd smell in the bathroom. It's possible that the liquid smelled like semen or some other body secretion. I touched it several more times and smelled it to make sure what it smelled like.
I left and a few hours later I noticed some pain in my finger where I touched the liquid and noticed a small cut. Also I worried about the wet wipe which I used to clean myself.
The clinic was a little sketchy looking, is there any risk of me contracting HIV in this manner.
Thank you.
Your situation involves personal contact with an object in air ( finger, wipes, maybe blood, maybe semen 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. Note that 2 of them require a penis and the third requires a hollow injecting shared needle - there are no OTHER 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 from hiv.
The other person's status is irrelevant when you have no exposure to live virus.
The room conditions are irrelevant and clinics don't spread hiv anyway.
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 from hiv.
The other person's status is irrelevant when you have no exposure to live virus.
The room conditions are irrelevant and clinics don't spread hiv anyway.
Have an Answer?
You are reading content posted in the HIV Prevention Community
Condoms are the most effective way to prevent HIV and STDs.
PrEP is used by people with high risk to prevent HIV infection.
Can I get HIV from surfaces, like toilet seats?
Can you get HIV from casual contact, like hugging?
Frequency of HIV testing depends on your risk.
Post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP) may help prevent HIV infection.
