HIV RISK??PLEASE HELP

[yellowmilton]

Dear Doctor,

  I am sharing a house with other people. Last night one of the girl brought her new boyfriend and they had sex like 4 am. This morning I got up and saw shower water in the bath tub. I put my hand inside the shower water to push the button so that the water could be drilled up. However, I had a cut in the corner of my finger nail. It was not bleeding but it was open.  I am pretty much sure one or both of them took a shower. So there would be semen and vagina fluid in the shower water.  Since I had the open cut. WILL I be at risk???  

I do not know how long the water had been there . But my wife said she saw the water there when she got up at 1PM. I put my hand into the water at 3PM.  After I got up, I saw the water. But I used the toilet first and went downstairs for several minutes. Then I called my wife up to see the water in the tub and at the same time I put my hand into it. So there should be at least 10-15 minutes between before I put my hand inside the water and after I saw the water.

Am I at risk?

Thank you

[H. Hunter Handsfield, M.D.]

Thanks for the thanks.

I saw your initial comment about the cut on your finger and took it into account.  

[yellowmilton]

Thank you so much Dr. Handsfield.  I actually did not know this before. You give me a good education.  By the way, did you take into consideration that I had an open cut in the corner of finger nail ?

Thank you so much

[H. Hunter Handsfield, M.D.]

Welcome to the forum.  Thanks for your question.

You, your wife, and anyone else in the house is at absolutely no risk for HIV (or any other STD) from the sexual events and the potential exposures you describe.  They call these infections sexually transmitted for a reason:  they are transmitted only by sex.  If people could get STDs or HIV from such events, they would be far more common than they are, and they would appear from time to time in virgins and others who have not have sex -- but this never happens.

As another example, around the world in the past 30 years, millions of people have lived for years in the homes of people with HIV, sharing bathrooms, kitchens, towels, eating utensils, etc -- and none of these people ever catch HIV (unless they also are sex partners or exposed to large amounts of blood of the infected person).

On top of all that, I would point out that it is very unlikely either your housemate or his sex partner has HIV -- especially if they are not injection drug users or otherwise at special risk.

So no worries, no need for testing, and no need for sexual precautions between you and your wife.  All is well.

I hope these comments have been helpful.  Best wishes--  HHH, MD