Hi 

I hope you can help? I don't know if I'm worrying to much or should I be worried ? A few weeks ago (about 3) I sat down on a chair and felt something sharpe I never thought anything of it and later when I checked it looked there was a needle prick mark there! I'm now worried if it was a needle! And about 5 days ago every night I've been getting a bloke nose (no mucus) and in the morning I'm fine it's gone but then it starts back up at night again! I've got other symptoms just that. Could that be that I'm sero converting or would I be ill 24-7 for a while not just a few days at night? Can you get symptoms just at night and none in the morning and day?  Just after abit of info as there's so much on the internet! Many thanks

Although an accidental injury with an HIV infected sharp instrument in theory can transmit HIV, this has never been known to happen aside from medical settings, with health workers injured with instruments known to be contaminated with HIV infected blood. (Not counting shared drug injection equipment, of course.) There are several reasons for no need to worry. First, there is no realistic chance that whatever poked you had recently also poked an HIV infected person; even then, non-hollow sharp points rarely if ever transmit (they don't carry enough blood); assuming more than a few minutes had passed, any HIV infected material would have dried, killing HIV; and anything passing through clothing would be stripped clean of enough blood and virus to transmit it. Finally, your symptoms do not suggest a new HIV infection, which does not cause nasal congestion or cold symptoms. Sounds like you caught a cold, nothing more.

I would suggest you stop searching the internet about this. It seems you are being drawn to information that inflames your fears and missing the reassuring bits. It isn't worth it.

Bottom line:  Absolutely no risk of HIV or other blood borne infections. You do not need testing and should not be worried. (Of course if you have been at legitimate risk of HIV, such as unsafe sex, sharing drug injection equipment, etc, you should be tested.)

I hope this information has been helpful. Let me know if anything isn't clear.

HHH, MD

Yes, catching HIV by sharp instruments usually requires a hollow needle with "a fair amount" of blood exposure (although not necessarily into a vein).

Don't over think this. Probalby nobody in the world has ever caught HIV from such an event. You are not going to be the first. Do not worry about the biological reasons. Just do your best to forget this and move on with your life.

Normally threads are closed after two follow-up comments and replies. However, I'll leave this one open for another week so you can post your test result, if you decide to do it. But I won't have anything more to say until then. In the meantime, do try to relax. There truly is no realistic chance you were infected with HIV or anything else from this event.