What do you think my risk is?

[NickOne7]

Thank you for your reply, To clear things up a bit i'll break it down a bit better for you,  I believe my roommate used my toothbrush last night and then I used it this morning.  After I used the toothbrush I got scared of getting infected with one of the three infections I mentioned before. So let me ask a straight question.

1. Would using this toothbrush this morning after he used it last night be able to infect me with HBV, HCV or HIV? Not sure if he had blood in his mouth.

Second, after I used the toothbrush I got scared as stated above. I have a few HBV tests I ordered online for home use. I asked him to try the test. (The test works by putting 5 drops of blood on to a test strip and waiting for the results) They give you a small plastic device with the home rapid test to suck up the blood from your finger and transfer it to the test strip.  He did not know how to use it to suck up the blood so I did it for him.  I sucked up one drop at a time and transfered it to the test 5 times, I was carful not to get any blood on my hands etc. BUT when I was squeezing the last drop of blood on to the test strip it splattered due to a air bubble in the plastic sucker.  The blood drop splattered on to the test. So here is my question regarding this information.

2. As the blood drop splattered onto the test, If some of the splatter came in contact with my mouth, eyes or nose would this cause infection of HIV, HCV or HBV?  Most of the splatter went on the test card, but the little specks may have entered my mucus membrains. Please give your honest oppinion sir.  The sucker basicly "Spit the blood drop out and caused a splatter?

3. Also I took one of the home tests (5 minutes) before I helped him with his. So i pricked my finger to take the test. Would my finger be healed so no virus could enter my blood stream if my finger was pricked 5 minutes earlyer and no blood was coming out?

4. Does it take just a small amount of blood (1 drop) for transmission of HIV, HCV or HBV to ocurr or would it take much more blood than that?

[Anne1717]

yeah - I just throw it out. EW - not a germ freak but tooth brushes are off limits.  Now I hide it.

[nygirl7]

I know that there were times that my kids probably used mine when they were small but that to me is totally different.  Still I wish they never had now but it goes to show how non-efficient method of transmission that is. Shoot with all the major cuts I've gotten over the years that my son bandaged up for me as "man of the house" and things like that.....Pretty soon we'll be getting letters asking about forks in restaurants "dear medhelp I was at a steak house the other night and I think the fork might have cut my cheek do I have hepc".

Hey maybe I'll post that under a pseudonym (spelling?) and then never post again!

[Diane12855]

I think I have already seen that one. The fork had dried blood on it, I think... can you imagine using it and then asking if they could have caught HCV?  People are really strange some times.

[Anne1717]

Ha!   My sons would sooner give up beer pong than use something of mine - mom germs.  It's the food particles lodged between someone's teeth that gets me squeamish - there might be a vegetable remnant !!

[Diane12855]

Not likely with kids....vegetables?????????? Mine eat them because I force them, but you'd think they were toxic or something by how fast they get them down and then wash them down with their drink.

[Anne1717]

HA !!  The only vegetable my youngest got when he was younger were the peas hi older brother made him shove up his nose.

Truthfully - the youngest came home from preschool one time asking for the "food that people eat"  meaning vegetables and specifically bananas.   Reverse psychology worked.

You are a good mother !  I think they ARE toxic and still gag them down