I don't mean to belittle your fears. But HIV by dog bite? When you aren't even sure blood even touched your skin? When you rinse your hands in blood known to carry HIV and not get infected?
No chance. The scenario you outline is so astromically improbable that you can and should just forget it. I can understand your husband's frustration. He is right and you are wrong. If you cannot make your left brain understand and overcome the emotions of your right brain, it might indicate a need for professional counseling. It is not normal to be so irrational about things like this. I bring that up out of compassion, not criticism.
Best wishes-- HHH, MD
Hi Dr HHH, the blood was the owners not the dogs. I know you can't get HIV from a dog-also i washed my hand in soap and water following holding the dog. I do not understand you comment about when you rinse you hands in blood know to carry HIV and not get infected? What did you mean by this. I understand your comment about needing counselling -i totally agree i am neurotic. I know the chances of contracting hiv this way are soo small-i was just really worried that if i had goten blood on me and not known and washed it off it could've been passed through any one of my cuts. I really appreciate your compassion though. I guess i need reassurance
I knew you meant the owner's blood, not the dog's.
I meant exactly what I said about HIV infected blood. Of course I'm not recommending anyone rinse their hands with HIV infected blood. But if that happened, most likely HIV would not be transmitted. Even when health care workers get stuck with sharp instruments contaminated with HIV infected blood, fewer than 1 in 100 get infected.
You have correctly identified the only health problem here and HIV isn't it. "I need reassurance" isn't going to be enough. For most people with the sort of thought processes, reassurance by itself doesn't eliminate the irrational fears. Most likely you are going to continue to be irrationally fearful of HIV until you get professional assistance.
I will have no further comments on this thread.