[Question #12688] breaskmilk / blood unknown person

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6 months ago
Dear doctors:
I just want to know if there has been any hiv transmission in the following way:

I was in a flight and the person next to me was feeding her baby. Her breastmilk splashed all over my eye and face and I could see her nipple broken/hurt from the baby´s feeding. I am scared that the breastmilk mixed with blood may be a source of hiv since it splashed in my eye and the plane was landing so I could not get up and wash my face at all.

Please let me know if this situation constitutes a risk for hiv and if there has ever been a case of hiv transmission from breastmilk+blood splatter in the eye before. 

Many thanks! 



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H. Hunter Handsfield, MD
6 months ago
Welcome back to the forum.

Having looked at your two previous questions and Dr. Hook's replies, it is apparent you are way over worried about catching HIV in circumstances that are entirely risk free. That certainly is the case here. The amount of HIV that might be in breast milk, or in the trivial amount of blood that could come from her irritated or inflamed nipples would not be nearly enough to transmit the virus to you. You don't say where you are, but in most areas of the world, the proportion of nursing women who have HIV is very low -- and even if she has it, you were not at risk at all. And no, there has never been a reported case of HIV that was known to be transmitted in this manner.

So I would say you do not need testing for HIV on account of this event. Of course you are free to be tested anyway, for the reassurance you might experience from the negative result.

Nobody in the world has ever caught HIV from contact with contaminated fluids or blood in their environment. You will never get HIV until and unless you have unproteted sex or share drug injection equipment with an infected person; or maybe if you were to have a large exposure to blood, e.g. if you were to aid a person bleeding heavily after an auto accident or similar even. Please do not ever worry about any other kind of exposure.

I hope these comments are helpful. Let me know if anything isn't clear.

HHH, MD
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6 months ago
Thanks so much, doctor! All very clear and precise, as always! I do suffer from anxiety so will try to keep in mind the real ways it is transmitted as to not bother you with no risk scenarios :). Have a great day!
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H. Hunter Handsfield, MD
6 months ago
Thanks for the thanks. Glad to help.---
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5 months ago

You mentioned that a potential risk, aside from unprotected sex or drug injection, could be a large exposure to blood, such as aiding someone heavily bleeding. I want to confirm that the following event does not constitute a risk.

On Monday, I was walking to a cafeteria when it started raining lightly. I saw an ambulance about 10 meters away and felt anxious. I did not see anyone injured, but a security guard suggested something had happened. Despite using an umbrella, I felt drops on my face and eyes. At home, I noticed a tiny red dot near my eye but assumed it could be anything.

On Thursday, I saw about 10 minuscule red dots on my face. I had showered once since Tuesday but might not have washed my face well. I worried these dots could be blood. However, I reasoned that if someone had bled nearby, I would have noticed large stains, not just tiny dots on my face. Additionally, outside healthcare settings, risk only exists with significant blood exposure, so 10 tiny red dots would not be enough to constitute a risk, right?

Am I assessing this correctly, and was there no real risk? Please help me out with arguments to logically understand this. Many thanks in advance. 


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H. Hunter Handsfield, MD
5 months ago
Sorry for the delay in responding to these comments.

The opportunity for follow-up comments is for clarification of the initial question, not about entirely different events. However, I cannot imagine that the "red dots" you saw were blood -- and even if they were, there was absolutely no risk of HIV from the events you describe. There definitely as no risk.

That concludes this thread. Best wishes and stay safe.
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