[Question #12241] pin prick

9 months ago

Dear doctor:

Last week at the office, we were organizing souvenirs with a colleague. This included manipulating a pin with the company logo. My gay friend took the pin and got pricked by accident, and as I was handling the packages, I handled the same pin and I believe I got pricked as well because I noticed a red bloddy like dot in my finger, like a pin prick. This I noticed a few hours later but I believe it could have been the pin.

However, since it is a solid pointy object and not a hollow needle, I did not think much of it until today when I got a pregnancy test and realized I´m pregnant. Please help, I´m so anxious.

- Am I at risk of hiv?

-Has a solid needle prick (one person after the other) ever been the cause of hiv transmission?

Many thanks in advance. I really want to move past this to be calm for the baby.

Edward W. Hook M.D.

9 months ago

Welcome to our Forum. Thanks for your questions and congratulations on your pregnancy. I will urge you to move forward without concern for all of the reasons I list below:

1. It is statistically unlikely that your friend has untreated HIV. Most gay men do not have HIV and of those who do, most are on treatment which makes HIV non-transmissible

2. As you correctly point out, the likelihood that any blood was transferred is minimal because the pin had a solid point. HIV is transmitted by needle sticks less than 1% of the time when stuck by a hollow point needle that can transfer blood within the hollow space of the needle. Solid points do not transfer blood in the same way.

3. The stick you describe sounds minimal

It's entirely normal to have heightened levels of concern with pregnancy but I urge you not to worry. If you wish to have the added comfort that a negative test will provide, I would suggest that you wait a bit- it's too early at this time. If you choose to test, you could do so either with a HIV PCR test which would provide conclusive results any time more than 11 days after exposure or with routine 4th generation HIV tests which will be 98% conclusive at 4 weeks and entirely conclusive 6 weeks after the event. At this time, I am confident you are not in danger but provide the testing information just in case.

Please use your up to 2 follow-ups if any of this reply is unclear. EWH

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9 months ago

Thanks so much and thanks for congratulating me for the baby. We are all soooo happy and excited!

Just to make sure, has there ever been a case of transmission of hiv through a solid needle prick (one person after another)?

I just yesterday spent USD400 dollars on a battery of exams which included STDs like hiv and hepatitis b- and all is well- so I really want to focus on the rest of the pregnancy and not another hiv exam if it this scenario was a no risk scenario.

Edward W. Hook M.D.

9 months ago

I am not aware of HIV transmission occurring through the sort of possible needle stick you describe.

EWH

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9 months ago

Thanks so much, doctor!!!! So to finish up this question and summing it all up, this is a no risk scenario that does not warrant testing, right?

Best regards!!! And now going to enjoy the rest of my pregnancy :)

Edward W. Hook M.D.

9 months ago

Correct. I see the situation you describe as virtually no risk. Please don't worry.

This completes this thread which will be closed shortly. EWH

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