I would be grateful for your help please. I have been terrified about HIV for almost a year now after an ex-GF had a false positive result when we were together.

From reading previous posts on the forum, I understand that adults will never be at risk of HIV unless: (1) there is unprotected intercourse, (2) needles are shared; and (3) they are exposed to huge amounts of blood from an infected person (i.e someone who has been stabbed / shot).

My situation does not involve any of the above.

I noticed a 3/4cm scratch on my arm that was bleeding and I used my finger to wipe away the blood. I then applied a tissue for a few minutes.

If I had any fluids on my hand without noticing (i.e from door handles, sharing stationary), was applying my finger to the scratch a risk and do I need HIV testing? 

And thanks for researching our responses to questions similar to your own. Good work:  your summary statement is exactly right. There are other transmission routes as well, such as transplantation with infected blood or organs, to newborns during delivery and (less often) from nursing by infected moms. But these are not relevant to your situation.

From your reading and based on your own summary statement, undoubtedly you know the answer to your question about your scratch and handling items used by HIV infected persons. Zero risk. Nobody ever caught HIV from such contact. For example, the household members and room mates of HIV infected people never are infected even after years of sharing toilets, towels, kitchens, eating utensils, etc. You certainly do not need testing.

Let me know if anything isn't clear.

HHH, MD

So in summary: even if HIV-infected material like seamen or blood was on my hand and I touched a cut that was actively bleeding, zero risk of infection? 

Three follow up questions if I may:

1. If I were to lick my fingers and not having washed them prior, is that a risk of HIV transmission? (if blood or fluids were on my hands and I didn’t know). 

I thought I saw a reply on here saying even swallowing HIV-infected blood was zero risk, but I cannot be sure.

2. I am uncircumcised. I recently broke my ankle and I have been sitting down when using the bathroom. The end of my penis has touched the toilet seat when using public bathrooms.

IF there was HIV-seamen or blood on the seat, is this zero risk for HIV transmission? (I note your comment about toilets, but wasn’t sure if the opening of a penis touching a surface would be different).

3. If I touched the end of my penis (i.e when finishing urinating) having touched a door handle or someone else’s’ cell phone beforehand, is this also zero risk for HIV?

Thank you for your help. I am sure you will appreciate my anxiety has been through the roof since last year’s events and I have looked for a professional forum like this with no ‘maybe’ answers.

Apparently you misunderstand the significance of your opening question. HIV is NEVER transmitted by the non-intimate kinds of contact you describe. Ignore any and all "what if?" or other possible exceptions. You will never think of any kind of exposure of the kinds you ask about that would risk being infected with HIV.

1. Lick fingers etc:  No risk.

2. Brief penis touching anything, including another person's genitals, is no risk. Circumcision status increased risk of HIV if there is anal or vaginal sex, but otherwise makes no difference.

3. Same answer.

Are all these truly zero risk? Who knows? All we can say is that in the 40+ years of the worldwide HIV/AIDS epidemic, there have been no known cases acquired by such events. So the risk obviously is zero for all practical purposes.

Honestly the fact that you were transiently frightened because of a partner who initially was thought to have -- but was then found to have a false positive test -- should not be affecting your thinking at all. Clearly that experience did not increase your risk of HIV on account of such zero risk events. If such worries are affecting your life as much as it seems, professional counseling may be a consideration. This level of anxiety in this situation is not normal..