Aa
pretty worried
dear doctor,
please examine this scenario from the most conservative point of view :
an hiv+ woman gives me her cellphone ( few minutes earlier she had gone to the bathroom).
i go to the bathroom, touch her cellphone as it rings, then I consider the possibility of washing my hands, but nonetheless decide touch my penis to urinate without washing them beforehand.
i don't touch the glans , but maybe i touch the skin just under it ( i'm uncircumcised)
risk if some of her secretion where on the the cellphone ?
please examine this scenario from the most conservative point of view :
an hiv+ woman gives me her cellphone ( few minutes earlier she had gone to the bathroom).
i go to the bathroom, touch her cellphone as it rings, then I consider the possibility of washing my hands, but nonetheless decide touch my penis to urinate without washing them beforehand.
i don't touch the glans , but maybe i touch the skin just under it ( i'm uncircumcised)
risk if some of her secretion where on the the cellphone ?
MEDICAL PROFESSIONAL
I take no such precautions either professionally or personally. I have a number of personal friends and professional colleagues who have HIV or are at high risk. I have shared meals, kitchens, bathrooms, and telephones with them, without thinking at all about whether they have been wiped or cleaned. We make no effort in my hospital or STD clinic to clean phones, doorknobs, etc regardless of whether HIV infected persons might have used them. It simply isn't necessary to prevent HIV transmission and nobody does this.
You need to let this go, and ignore any further "what if" or "is there any possibility" thoughts that come to mine. There is no realistic scenario you can describe that would change my advice on this.
You need to let this go, and ignore any further "what if" or "is there any possibility" thoughts that come to mine. There is no realistic scenario you can describe that would change my advice on this.
thank you for your reassuring answer, I was unable to fall asleep tonight .
have you ever found yourself in a situation like the one i've described during your long experience with hiv+ people ? or it is common practice among doctors and nurses to wash their hands after every small exposure ?
have you ever found yourself in a situation like the one i've described during your long experience with hiv+ people ? or it is common practice among doctors and nurses to wash their hands after every small exposure ?
MEDICAL PROFESSIONAL
Welcome to the forum.
My and everybody's objective, scientific, and yes, "most conservative" perspective is that HIV is never transmitted in this fasion and there is absolutely no risk -- regardless of what "secretions" she left on the phone.
The household members of people with HIV never catch it (assuming they aren't also sex or needle-sharing partners) despite many years of sharing kitchens, eating utensil, towels, and bathrooms with the infected person. Never.
Regards-- HHH, MD
My and everybody's objective, scientific, and yes, "most conservative" perspective is that HIV is never transmitted in this fasion and there is absolutely no risk -- regardless of what "secretions" she left on the phone.
The household members of people with HIV never catch it (assuming they aren't also sex or needle-sharing partners) despite many years of sharing kitchens, eating utensil, towels, and bathrooms with the infected person. Never.
Regards-- HHH, MD
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