[Question #10725] HIV from Shaking Hands

20 months ago

For my work I interact with a lot of vagrant individuals, drug users, and people on the verge of homelessness. About two, almost three, weeks ago I was shaking hands with someone and afterwards I noticed a small cut on my hand halfway between my wrist and thumb. It was cold that night and my skin tends to get ashy and dry so at the time I thought nothing of it. Since then I have a patch of red skin over the lymph node behind the left side of my jaw and the node feels kind of tender but it’s hard to tell. I’ve also had itching in my chest and red spots on my chest and neck as well. Should I be concerned that I caught something, specifically HIV? And if not, how come I should not be concerned. Admittedly, this is probably anxiety driven but nonetheless I feel I have to do my due diligence and follow up. At the very least to see if I need to get tested or go see a doctor. I’ve been following Dr. HHH for a while and his words across a variety of sexual issues has definitely helped alleviate my anxiety a little bit. I internalize information best through metric driven data points so if I could have a reply that is percentages or numbers based I would appreciate it. Thank you in advance. Just an FYI, I don’t use needles for drugs, I have not been sexually active in about 5-6 months, and I have had my blood drawn through Labcorp a few times over the past few months.

20 months ago

To add, I have also had a tender throat. Like a constant globular sensation. As well as chest pain and tightness, sometimes alleviated by taking ibuprofen.

H. Hunter Handsfield, MD

20 months ago

Welcome to the forum. Some questions can almost be answered conclusively from the little information in the title chosen by the user. That may be the case here: shaking hands of course is never any risk for HIV.

Now I have read the question itself. I'm glad reviewing my replies to other questions already has started to reassure you. Indeed this was no risk at all. You already have answers your own question "how come I should not be concerned?" Because HIV transmission has never been known to be transmitted by the sorts of contact you have described. However, despite your request for a "metric driven" reply, I cannot do it: there are data on sexual acquisition, but of course none on hand shaking or other non-intimate contact. But I would say there is zero chance you caught HIV, even if some of the persons you have served have HIV. I see no need (using your words) "to get tested or go see a doctor".

Your symptoms do not suggest a new HIV infection.

Really, don't worry about this. You're not going to be the first person in the world who acquire HIV from such kinds of contact!

I hope these comments are helpful. Best wishes and stay safe.

HHH, MD

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20 months ago

Thank you for your reply. I will ask this one last question and then move on.

So as I understand it, the fact that I had a small cut on my hand has no bearing on whether or not I could have been infected? Why is it unlikely that a small cut in the hand can serve as a port of entry? I forgot to mention in my last post, that I have also had odd cold sensations in my legs and pain all around my chest and abdomen. As I’ve said, after this I will put the matter to rest.

H. Hunter Handsfield, MD

20 months ago

As I said, there has never been a case of HIV transmitted by hand-genital contact. And because cuts on the hands and fingers are so common, obviously there must have been millions of such events that occurred in the presents of cuts, scrapes, etc. And still no cases.

Why not? Because it takes lots of virus exposure for it to be transmitted. Even when an infected male injects semen loaded with HIV into a woman's vagina, there is under one chance in a thousand she will be infected. The amount of virus to which a cut could be exposed isn't nearly enough for infection to take hold.

"Odd sensations" isn't an ARS symptom.

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