[Question #1046] Mucous membranes and cuts

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97 months ago
sir, 
how much amount of blood is required for HIV transmission through 1)eyes 2)cuts 3) nose 4) mouth 5) ears


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H. Hunter Handsfield, MD
97 months ago
Welcome to the forum. Thanks for your question.

There are no data on which to base an answer.  But the amount really doesn't matter: however much it takes, exposure of these sites virtually never results in HIV transmission. These questions suggest you are worried about possible nonsexual exposure to blood in the environment, or to sexual events that might have exposed these sites to the virus. However, nobody ever gets infected by HIV exposure in the environment, or sexually except by intercourse. Even the busiest HIV/AIDS clinics never have patients who caught the infection other than by intercourse (penis in vagina, rectum or, rarely, mouth) or blood exposure through shared injection equipment. Even if you have cuts that might have been exposed to HIV infected blood, or if your eyes, nose, mouth or ears were exposed, you aren't at risk.

If you would like to provide more details about the exposures that concern you, I might have more to say. In the meantime, I think you needn't be worried at all.

I hope this has helped. Best wishes--  HHH, MD

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97 months ago
Sir,
1)I was walking into the hotel entrance , suddenly some fluid fell into my eyes and mouth  from above and some people were working on the first floor . I worried that fluid fell into my eyes and mouth was blood andit was   from the wound of people working in  first floor??
2) excalty hw much amount of blood required for hiv transmission through eyes and mouth. I mean small or large amount of blood.
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H. Hunter Handsfield, MD
97 months ago
1) Nobody has ever caught HIV from this sort of event.

2) As I said above, there are no data. But if there wasn't enough blood to see it -- i.e. obvious blood spatters on the skin around your eyes and mouth -- then almost certainly there was not enough to infect you.

Trust me on this:  this event carried absolutely no chance you caught HIV. To be sure you'll never get HIV, have only safe sex with new partners or persons who may be at risk; and do not share drug injection equipment with anyone else. That's all. No other precautions or worries are justified.

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97 months ago
Sir, thank you...I understood...I just 1 more question..I read from aidsvancouver.com that small cuts or superficial cuts doesn't provide way for hiv virus get inside body and only large or deep cuts which is actively bleeding provides way for hiv virus to get inside body. Is my understanding correct??
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H. Hunter Handsfield, MD
97 months ago
That statement is accurate.

That completes the two follow-up comments and replies that come with each question, and so ends this thread. I hope the discussion has been helpful. Best wishes and stay safe.

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