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Possible exposure from cut on hand?

Hello. I'll get straight to the point.
I cut myself badly on my hand. It was a little deep and bled a lot. I didn't know if it needed stitches or not so I super glued it close. Then next day I scraped it and it reopened and began bleeding again. I picked the dried glue off and got the first aid kit. A guy at work, while trying putting the band aid on, touched the cut with his finger. I didn't see any kind of blood, unless it was microscopic or something, when he touched the cut. He does have what looks like closed cut on his fingers as he works with his hands. But I don't know if he had a fresh cut on his finger at the time or not.
I started freaking out about a possible HIV transmission. I have severe anxiety.
About 4 or 5 days later a gland under my ear was swollen. Next day or so I started having recurrent headaches and a mild sore throat that comes and goes. Two weeks after the exposure I developed a rash on my right arm that doesn't itch or bother me at all. It's just real dry. I really began freaking out by now. from what I could tel I haven't had a fever or been sick. My joints in my left knee started hurting and now (1 month after exposure) various joints in my body hurt (elbows, wrist, both knees). They seem to don't hurt at the same time but one at a time throughout the day. I also think I had a rash on my face. Slight redness on my cheeks.
I have been freaking out, my anxiety is thru the roof.
It's now been a month. The swollen gland went away after two or so weeks, head aches aren't daily anymore, sore throat still comes and goes, rash is still there, and my joints have been hurting. Mainly in the knees.
the guy who touched the cut, has been around, and talked about HIV for odd reasons at times. But never said outright that he has it.
I've been going crazy. How much of a exposure did I have? With all the symptoms that came out of nowhere that are associated with HIV it just has me going crazy. My last sexual encounter was over three months ago and I already took a oraquick to rule out that exposure.
Can someone please in detail give me an answer about this risk?
2 Responses
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Avatar universal
1. Okay so all these symptoms are not related to HIV and I can 100% move on from this?
2. Even if he had an open cut with HIV virus present in the cut and his cut touches my cut there couldn't be a transmission?
3. What about blood to blood? I've read there has been a handful cases from fights, accidents, etc where transmission has occurred from blood to blood contact.
I don't want to sound crazy, just with all these symptoms coincidently showing up after what I feared to be a exposure has just got me super stressed out. I just can't think of what else could this be.
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1 Comments
1. Yes, no risk.
2. I already answered that question.
3. There have been no verified documented cases of HIV transmission through touching someone and you will not be the first.

You had no risk. Always use a condom for sexual activities and never use shared needles if you decide to start IV drug use and you'll stay HIV free for life.
Avatar universal
You had no risk. Touching people has never been a risk. Regardless of cuts, scrapes, hangnails, whatever. No risk.

The only way you would be at risk for HIV is if you have unprotected anal/vaginal sex or you share drug needles with infected users. Nothing else you can think of is a risk to an adult.
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1 Comments
For further reassurance to you in your naturally frightened state, HIV dies instantly in the air, which explains why Chima's post is correct.
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