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THIS IS A RUBBISH DOCTOR WHAT DO YOU SAY
Maybe this is weird...but can you get HIV from licking dried blood?
I have a friend who has HIV. She has a girlfriend she has sex with. Her girlfriend licks dried blood off her arm. She says the virus is dead and can’t hurt her. Is that true? Can you get HIV from dried blood?
answered by
Eric Christoff, MD, AAHIVM on September 26, 2011
Thanks for your question. I know you’re concerned for your friends and I’ll do my best to help with information about HIV and how to have safer sex with a partner who has HIV.
Can you get HIV from dried blood? Well, it’s unlikely, but possible. HIV can’t survive for long outside the human body. So dried blood, saliva and vaginal fluid don’t carry high risk. However, your friend should not take any unnecessary risks – and licking infected blood does carry some chance of getting HIV.
From what you said, I can understand where your friend’s girlfriend may be coming from...it sounds like she wants to make sure that fear of HIV doesn’t control her life. But it’s also important for her to be cautious. She can still love and take care of her partner without taking unnecessary risks.
I have a friend who has HIV. She has a girlfriend she has sex with. Her girlfriend licks dried blood off her arm. She says the virus is dead and can’t hurt her. Is that true? Can you get HIV from dried blood?
answered by
Eric Christoff, MD, AAHIVM on September 26, 2011
Thanks for your question. I know you’re concerned for your friends and I’ll do my best to help with information about HIV and how to have safer sex with a partner who has HIV.
Can you get HIV from dried blood? Well, it’s unlikely, but possible. HIV can’t survive for long outside the human body. So dried blood, saliva and vaginal fluid don’t carry high risk. However, your friend should not take any unnecessary risks – and licking infected blood does carry some chance of getting HIV.
From what you said, I can understand where your friend’s girlfriend may be coming from...it sounds like she wants to make sure that fear of HIV doesn’t control her life. But it’s also important for her to be cautious. She can still love and take care of her partner without taking unnecessary risks.
Your friends friend is not at risk of contracting HIV from this situation. This is because HIV transmission requires all of the following:
Body fluids containing high levels of HIV, e.g. blood, semen, and vaginal/rectal secretions. The body fluids mentioned above must be transmitted inside the human body.
A high-risk activity, e.g. unprotected anal or vaginal intercourse or the sharing of needles.
Direct access for HIV-containing body fluids to enter the bloodstream, e.g. through the vagina, anus, mucus membranes, or points of needle injection.
A controlled environment, which means NO EXPOSURE TO AIR. HIV is an extremely weak virus that dies once exposed to the air. Sites such as the vagina or anus are considered controlled environments where the virus can be transmitted and can grow, whereas DRIED blood on a persons arm has been exposed to air and can NOT infect anyone.
Not only has the virus been exposed to air on your friends arm, but human saliva contains bacteria and enzymes which render the virus inactive. (Incapable of infecting)
I don't know who this doctor is, but when he states that "vaginal fluid does NOT carry a high risk...." he is totally wrong!
HIV can only be transmitted from an infected person to another through direct contact of bodily fluids such as:
Blood (including menstrual blood)
Semen / Cum / Precum / Ejaculate
Vaginal secretions
Breast milk
Blood contains the highest concentration of the virus, followed by semen, followed by vaginal fluids, followed by breast milk.
Again, all of the above must be transmitted inside the human body. If your friends friend licked dried vaginal secretions from her friends arm, the same answer applies.......it has been exposed to air and the virus is inactive.
I hope this has helped.
RubyWitch
Body fluids containing high levels of HIV, e.g. blood, semen, and vaginal/rectal secretions. The body fluids mentioned above must be transmitted inside the human body.
A high-risk activity, e.g. unprotected anal or vaginal intercourse or the sharing of needles.
Direct access for HIV-containing body fluids to enter the bloodstream, e.g. through the vagina, anus, mucus membranes, or points of needle injection.
A controlled environment, which means NO EXPOSURE TO AIR. HIV is an extremely weak virus that dies once exposed to the air. Sites such as the vagina or anus are considered controlled environments where the virus can be transmitted and can grow, whereas DRIED blood on a persons arm has been exposed to air and can NOT infect anyone.
Not only has the virus been exposed to air on your friends arm, but human saliva contains bacteria and enzymes which render the virus inactive. (Incapable of infecting)
I don't know who this doctor is, but when he states that "vaginal fluid does NOT carry a high risk...." he is totally wrong!
HIV can only be transmitted from an infected person to another through direct contact of bodily fluids such as:
Blood (including menstrual blood)
Semen / Cum / Precum / Ejaculate
Vaginal secretions
Breast milk
Blood contains the highest concentration of the virus, followed by semen, followed by vaginal fluids, followed by breast milk.
Again, all of the above must be transmitted inside the human body. If your friends friend licked dried vaginal secretions from her friends arm, the same answer applies.......it has been exposed to air and the virus is inactive.
I hope this has helped.
RubyWitch
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