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Avatar universal

Scared from drawing blood

Hello, everyone. I am terrified, because 6 months waited for a final hiv test to put my mind in peace and I forgot to watch the nurce opening new needle. She drew my blood with vacuntainer and disposable needle, but didnt see her to put new one.

After she took the needle out, she left it aside and started to clean my blood, because splashed a bit. But did not see whats happened later. The place is for anonymous testing for hiv and normally they take blood from finger and if is positive, drawn blood from vein to test is. So, i they used the needle, would be almost certainly for a hiv +ve person. One the other hand, I was the only person for the day...

The woman was very kind and the next day she said she did not reuse needles, but I am still worried what are the chances.

Are the drug users get infected because of the syringes, not the needles. And if you put a contaminated needle in a vein, does the blood from the needle goes in the vein? I know there is a vacuum, but it starts to work when you put the tube on the needle, and first she put the needle with the holder.
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Avatar universal
Your situation involves personal contact with an object in air  (needle, blood (imaginary but for this example I will pretend there was blood since you won't stop thinking about it) , 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 from hiv.
The other person's status is irrelevant when you have no exposure to live virus.
The previous advice was very clear ..........."Blood draws are not a risk".................................but you keep repeating your fears instead of listening to it.
Helpful - 1
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Thank you very much, I will try to move on with life (that would involve therapy for the anxiety though). Many thanks, really appreciate your time, was important to me.
3191940 tn?1447268717
COMMUNITY LEADER
Blood draws are not a risk for HIV.  First, NOBODY re-uses needles these days.
Second, a blood draw takes blood out of you.  It does not push blood into you.  This event is not a risk for HIV, no matter how many "what ifs" you think of.
Helpful - 1
2 Comments
Thanks you very much for the reply. I totally agree that nowadays needles are reused. Its just the human error what bothers me. I cannot turn back the hands of time and to see it. Yes, I can just believe it, but a concern will remain. So, just to leave it behind (because planning a baby as well), so if no positive people there before me, lets say a month, could it be enough to forget about the case and stop testing? Thank you very much in advance.
In my imagination, the needle was left with a cover, so don't know if dries that way. This place was changed from anonymous hiv place, to a Covid vaccination for a while, that is why I suspect noone positive went there. It went back to hiv place recently.
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