HIV Risk, should i even be concerned?

[icedmocha]

Hi,

i've some queries and concerns to be address.
since young, i would always have concerns of getting infected by HIV, so i would frequently get tested even when i was not expose to any risk at all.

Recentlty, about 7 weeks ago, i borrowed a hollow bore needle (im guessing 21G)  from my colleague. it was similar to those use to withdraw blood, but it wasnt attached to any barrel or syringe. Just the needle & it's adaptor ( the green plastic used to connect with a syringe barrel) it's visibly dry as far as my eyes can tell and clear of any visible stain or blood. in short, it seems new and unused.

so if there's any blood or fluid, it would have to exist only within the needle itself in small qty since tilting it doesnt leak anything out at all.

a couple of days later, i have cuts on my finger, i do suspect it could due to the needle bevel. when i noticed, it was perhaps some moment later, so i do not know if i did bleed or not. from here, i do get concerned, what risk do i have if this needle was indeed used by someone who had HIV?

i do not know my colleague status, and the needle was supposingly if used at all, for his dog delivery of medications.

fast forward 7 weeks later. i wanted to throw away the needle thinking it was lame and all, and accidentally puncture myself at my palm. i wash with soaps immediately and try to squeeze the blood out.
i read online that at room temp, they are probably dead within 4-6weeks. so here again, what is my risk here?

nevertheless i would have another blood test perhaps 2-3 months from now.

last and most important questions i had burning in me. i understand that it's not 100% chance from exposure via sex or needle sharing. if i rememebr correctly, any of these actions carry a less than 1% chance. my question is, if infected fluids were to enter your blood stream directly as in the case of needle stick injury faced by nurses, why isnt it something like 10 or 20% chance of getting infected?

[Edward W Hook, MD]

Welcome to the Forum.  I'll try to help but I think the main thing that seems to be the case from your question is that you are getting incorrect information about HIV and its transmissibility.  It is not clear why you borrowed a used (on his pet?) needle from your colleague or what it was used for.  Either way however, it seems most unlikely that this person (or his dog) have HIV.  

Further, it is not clear what you were doing with the needle to get cuts on your finger.  

Either way, this risk of infection from what you describe is probably quite low and should not be a cause of concern.  Further, that you stuck yourself with the needle 7 weeks after obtaining it should involve no risk to you either.  HIV certainly would not be alive at that time, therefore the puncture injury you describe posed no risk- it was neither deep enough (if it did not bleed spontaneously) nor would virus have survived that long (whoever told you that HIV might live in a used needle at room temperature for 4-6 weeks was being overly conservative- the virus would not live longer than a few days at most and probably not that long).

Finally, the reason that even most exposures by needle stick do not lead to infection is a function of biology and statistics.  The fact is that there are no infections that occur in nature that are transmitted on 100% of exposures and probably far less often.  The statistical probability of infection goes up with exposure to increasing among of micro-organisms and even most needles sticks result in exposure to relatively small amounts of infection.  Once the exposure has happened, a number of complex (too complex to go into here) events have to occur both in the virus and the exposed person for infection to get established and persist.  This complexity is also part of the reason that most exposures (whether sexual or through injection of infected material deep into tissue) do not lead to infection.

Bottom line- I doubt that you have any reason for concern and that there is any reason to test.  I certainly would not worry.  EWH

[Edward W Hook, MD]

The "experiment" you describe sounds scientifically implausible and like internet Psuedo-science, not facts.

this expsoure in no way qualifies you for PEP.  It is far, far too long past the events you describe to qualify under recommendations for PEP.

This exposure in no way compares to the events you describe.

No change in my opinion or advice.  You are being unnecessarily concerned.  My advice is to stop worring and to stay off of the internet- you are clearly getting incorrect information there.  EWH

[icedmocha]

Dear Sir,

thanks for your quick reply, the reason i didnt go into details is partly i do not want bore you with unnecessary details that lead to this.

in case i wasn't clear earlier, the cut was only a day after having the needle, the puncturing is 7 weeks after having the needle.

4-6weeks is due to those experiment they did, advising that the virus is still found even after 6weeks in some of the syringes. im not sure about the concentration since all these web only mentioned hiv blood. actually any of the web that shows up from my searching indicate at least weeks before it dies.

i do consider PEP but i think it's an overkill and the doc wouldnt encourage it as well upon my story. even i wouldnt recommend it to myself as i believe it would never end given my unecessary concern.

my concern all stem from the fact that my colleague used to take drugs, and the reason i borrow a needle is to have a closer look. a few months back i took a blood test and the needle appear to have a green tint, the doctor dismissed it as a material, and so i wanted to borrow a similar needle to have a closer look on why it appear so.

apparently i think it's the angle and perhaps reflection and as you can see, started this chain of events, which if i told anyone, would be regarded as either ocd/ paranoia or hiv anxiety. i guess i had a mixture of all these.

of course if you would have any similar experience in the colour, i would like to hear your comment as well.

my last few questions in addition would be, if you were to relate it to either a needlestick injury similar to a nurse, or needle sharing, which would you place it against with, is my any different from them? would the ph value or chlorine in tap water actually do anything to the virus since i did wash it with tap water before, but im not sure if it did enter the needle and exit out.

im sorry my question is super long as compared to many, it's just all this questions is burning in my mind for many many years.

thanks