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[scared968]

Hi Doc, I am sorry if this sounds a little outrageous but when it comes to family I get worried. Here is how it goes, I had a low risk occupational exposure with blood products. I have taken a 5.5 week negative EIA  test in Canada and waiting to go back for a 8. Anyways, me and my wife decided to abstain from sex until this was done as she is pregnant. She gave me a hadnjob and swears nothing got on her hand and she had not cuts or scrapes, just a planters wart that has been there for years. Right after we finished my kid ran into the room and jumped up on me, I had managed to wipe off with a towel before he jumped on my. I am scared that I I had any semen left on my stomach he could have touched it as he always sucks on is finger. Maybe I am being a little paranoid but I couldn't find anything in the archives regarding this type of exposure and how easy kids are susceptible. The thing that freaked me out was exactly 14 days after this my son came down with a bad cough that the doc prescribed a steroid for and a bit of a fever for a day. HE has had this cough for 5 days now. Please help me get this out of my mind!!!!

1. Are hand jobs absolutely 100% no risk for my wife to give me?
2. IS the exposure with my son absolutely no way 100% it could be transmitted like this?

[Edward W Hook, MD]

I understand your concern.  It is appropriate to have a higher level of concern for protecting our loved ones than ourselves.  That said, you are at no risk whatsoever.  Masturbation (hand jobs) are safe sex and HIV is not transmitted in this way.  Thus:

1.  No risk to your wife.  No reason to worry about further hand jobs
2.  No risk to your son.  Transmission by inanimate objects of genital secretion to hand to mouth does not occur. In his/your case there is the additional step of of the bedclothes.  No risk.

Finally, if you have looked on our site, you know very well that symptoms are meaningless.  Thus your son's cold is most likely just that, a cold, nothing more.  It certainly is NOT HIV.

You can relax and move on.  EWH

[scared968]

Just a heads up to everyone in Canada that we are using third generation EIA tests. Got this information from a reputable source.

[Edward W Hook, MD]

The tests used in Canada perform in the same manner as those available in the U.S.  No one tells you what generation of test is being used because, at this point in time it is not important to know.  The figures I gave apply to Canadian tests as well.  EWH

[scared968]

As mentioned above, this is my last reply and will leave it and move on. Any antibody test will pick up similar to other correct? I think I read that the newer generations can pick up a few days earlier in the first month but doesnt matter much after that. The reason I am asking is in Canada they do not tell you what generation of test is is only an MEIA or something to that matter. Thanks again and have a great night.

[scared968]

Thanks for your feedback, it makes me feel better and also my wife as I had her worrying as well. The numbers above are just for a standard antibody test as well correct, not sure what we use in Canada as they don't seem to know themselves but I have seen from looking over this site that they are more than likely up to date from what other posters have stated. Anyways, thanks again and have a great evening.

[Edward W Hook, MD]

There are good figures for what proportion of person with recently acquired infection will have positive tests.  After 4 weeks 85-90% of all persons who are going to develop positive tests will  have done so, at 6 weeks the figure rises to about 95%.  In your case, given the minimal chance of infection at all, I would advice to to consider your 5.5 week results as definitive.  EWH

[scared968]

Thanks Dr. Hook, I greatly appreciate you replying to this as some may think it is absurd but like you said, family comes first and run through every scenario in my mind especially with my wife being pregnant and in no way wanted to put our newborn at risk. How good and reassured could I be with a 5.5 week test in Canada done with standard EIA? I was comfortable as the one doc I was dealing with said it would be a good indicator even at 4 weeks but i waited until the 5.5 to even get a better understanding and reassurance. Thing is when I went in for my results a nurse told me they mean nothing and I would have to wait 3 months and then 6 months to get adequate results. She also said the only reason they probably did the test was to get a baseline to tell if I was positive before the exposure.I am 30 years old and in very good health.