There is no risk of catching HIV by sharing eating utensils, drinking cups, etc used by an HIV-infected person--regardless of opens sores or anything else. That's zero risk, zilch, nada, nichevo. If that could transmit HIV, we all would have been infected years ago.
HHH, MD
A related discussion,
im so worried was started.
I'M 16 & IDK WHAT'S WRONG WITH ME..
MY BREATHE STINKS, I GOT THOSE YELLOWISH LITTLE PARTICLE IN THE BACK OF MY THROAT, AND THEY SMELL DISCUSTING! I BRUSH MY TEETH A LOT SO THAT'S NOT IT. AND MY TOUNGE HAS WHITE STUFF ON IT AFTER A CPLE HRS OF NOT BRUSHING MY TEETH. MY **** IT WHITE AND CLOUDY IN A CUP OF WATER. I ALSO HAVE WHITE DISCHARGE FROM MY VAGINA AND OTHER THINGS. I NEED HELP. I CNT TELL ANYONE BC I LIVE WITH MY BOYFRIEND . HELP?
A related discussion,
drinking after people was started.
Probably there is more risk from sharing toothbrushes or razors than from eating utensils. But to my knowledge, there has never been a case of proved transmission by that route.
HHH, MD
Sorry if I wasn't supposed to do this. Since we are on the subject of sharing stuff. What about accidentally sharing a toothbrush? I've seen some where that it could be risky for STD transmission.
I think it has something to do with the toothbrush staying wet is why it is discouraged, same thing for a razor.
Dr., I have noticed you answer these environmental type exposures with essentially "not a chance" reply. There is a post lower on the page where somebody thought they touched blood in a hospital then picked their nose and you said basically there was no way HIV could be caught that way.
I kind of wonder what you look for in any of these "kinds" of exposures. I also wonder where the line would be drawn on what the CDC calls a mucous membrane contact with blood in a healthcare worker (where PEP would be considered), and these indirect exposures people post on this site. I can't find a definition for a mucous membrane "exposure" in terms of healthcare workers from the CDC, I even emailed the NCID with no response. I am guessing it would have to be a direct blood to membrane contact to qualify as an exposure, but I am not sure.
As I just wrote in the thread Herpes/genital warts question (allew, 3/13/06: It's all in the context of the question. You cannot expect absolute consistency in every response to questions about, say, transmission risk for fellatio. Some people provide different details about the risk, have selected partners in different settings, and so on.
Further, most of the risk exposure questions involve exposures for which there are no data. And when there are no data, it is largely because nobody thinks the risk is high enough to be worth the time and money to research it.
HHH, MD