[Question #7581] HIV Risk Assessment & IS Testing Need

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55 months ago

Please evaluate my HIV risks.

US MD Dermatologist injected antibiotic in my acnes he was not wearing gloves used same gauze to wipe speck of blood from injection site at all acnes. Needle and Syringe were new.

Dentist used ultrasonic scaler to clean my teeth, gums bled a lot, concerned if he changed the tip of the scaler between patients. I was 1st patient he saw that day.   

Bite my cheek and lips while eating, got some bleeding touched the wound with my bare fingers. Moments before had touched banana and saw there was something red wet spot on it. I had bought these bananas from BJ’s 4 days back.

Skin is prone to cuts and pokes. Risk from small cuts and pokes with sharp inanimate objects? While shopping I got cut by plastic cover on one of the item with little bleeding. Also what is risk of touching wet blood no cuts on my hand.  

At annual physical exam, nurse did my blood sugar test, she used new lancet but again was not wearing gloves, she squeezed around my poke site with her fingers to get drop of blood out for testing. Is this a HIV risk to me?

While working on my snow blower which was in shop for repair 24 hrs back, I got cut on my finger from one of the blades with bleeding.

Blood drawn for labwork at Quest Diagnostics, I immediately removed the Band-Aid and put my fingers in mouth to get some saliva to wipe the puncture site.  Concerned what all I touched with my fingers before touching puncture site.

DO I NEED ANY HIV TESTINGS? AM I AT RISK FROM ANY EXPOSURES ABOVE

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Edward W. Hook M.D.
55 months ago
Welcome to our Forum.  Thanks for your questions.  From your careful descriptions it’s clear that HIV is a concern for you.  With all due respect, I think you’re worrying more than you need to.  For all practical purposes, HIV is ONLY transmitted by direct, penetrative sexual contact and injection of infected material deep into tissue.  Other than a single, likely intentional infection by a dentist more than 20 years ago, there are no instances of known transmission in the context of dental procedures.  Further. Touching or transfer of HIV through touching or transfer on fingers or through contact with inanimate objects has never been scientifically proven.

Nothing you describe suggests any need for HIV testing.  I hope my comments are helpful.  If there are any other questions, please don’t hesitate to use your up to two follow up questions for clarification. EWH 


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55 months ago
Dear Dr, thank you for your response. I have to admit for last few months have developed a weird anxiety around HIV. I have never done drugs and never have messed around am happily married to my wife for 20 years. I will be obliged if you can kindly answer my follow up questions 

1. So there is no risk with the dermatologist visit I had? I can not imagine a board certified Dr in US will put me at HIV risk. But I just got concerned as he was not wearing gloves and used the same new gauze to wipe speck of blood from injection sites. My mind started thinking what if he had cuts on his hand etc. I did make sure he used new needle and syringe.
2. Continue sexual relationship with my wife sometime we do it unprotected we  have been very dedicated to each other and in monogamous relationship. I am just concerned and don't want to put her at her.
3. Small Cuts and pokes NOT JUST contact with inanimate objects should be ignored as they pose no risk  as I am assuming HIV virus is fragile 

Your expert medical advise based on all details I have given would be NO RISK and No need for testing and move on with happy life :)

God Bless You 

Thank you again Dr.  
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55 months ago
Hello Doctor,

Thanks for your quick response. I have a few more questions.

1. Regarding the first event even though it was just a handjob, I did not have a condom on. Would that still warrant as a no risk situation for all stds ?

2. I agree with you that sex can make your penis look worn out for a while maybe a day, but I had open cuts on my glans and shaft which could of possibly been bleeding, does that change anything, if per say saliva would of gotten up there.

3. HIV isnt my only concern , do you believe I am clear from all STD's ? I know Dr. Hansfield said protected oral carries little risk, but he didnt specifically say zero risk nor did he deny it was zero risk. Would both of yall agree on the response you gave me ? I just dont want to put my wife at risk from yhis situation, but dont want yo go with the dreadful wait of getting tested if you believe I dont have to and can just carry on.

Thanks, 
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Edward W. Hook M.D.
55 months ago
Your quick replies suggest that, for whatever reason, you are in a state of heightened and, from what you describe, unwarranted anxiety.  I can only hope that my comments will help you move forward.  Straight to your questions:

1.  Your concerns about your dermatologist visit are unwarranted.  This was not warranted. Admittedly, he should have worn gloves but, as a clinician I can tell you that the sense of touch is an important part of the dermatological examination.  I would not be concerned.
2.  The presence of cuts and abrasions, even if there was contact with saliva in no way changes my assessment.
3.  Correct 

2nd set of questions:
1.  Related to receipt of madturbation. Use of a condo is irrelevant.  Masturbation is a no risk activity.
2.  See 2 above 
3.  Sign, no risk.  Please don’t worry about your wife because of the events you describe 

EWH 
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55 months ago
Dear Dr,

Something weird happened with your Q&A system , the 3 set questions (one with handjob and penis cut) are NOT from me. Its must be from another user somehow got merged with my thread. So this will be my final questions and I want to put rest to my anxiety and move on with my life.

1. Based on all the events I have posted (1 set of questions followed by 2nd), there is absolutely NO RISK for HIV to me and NO testing is needed
2. I can continue having unprotected sex with my wife with whom I have monogamous relationship for last 20 years, I dont want to risk her in any way hence want your expert medical opinion.
3. For future reference so that I dont do down this anxiety loop, any CUTs or Pokes (even with slight bleeding) with inanimate objects in environment should not pose any RISK for HIV and should be ignored. unless its an hollow needle in medical setup than evaluation may be needed. 
4. I did not get any symptoms except I had night sweat for 2-3 times and dry mouth with slightly swollen uvula but I am thinking that's probably due to my anxiety, can you concur that is the case and its not ARS symptom.

I want to thank you and Dr H for an amazing job on answering our questions in the world of pandemics.

God Bless.

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Edward W. Hook M.D.
55 months ago
I apologize for extraneous messages. I’m not sure how this happened on our end either. Perhaps some sort of software glitch.  I’ll go straight to your own follow up questions:

1.  None of the events listed in your initial post or your follow up raise any concern whatsoever for acquisition of HIV.  Not the dermatologist visit, not the scrapes and pokes that we are sustain on a regular basis as we live our lives.
2.  Nothing that you have mentioned suggest any need whatsoever to abstain from unprotected sexual intercourse with your wife.
3.  Correct, incidental abrasions, cuts and even punctures from inanimate objects encountered through activities of daily life do not represent a meaningful risk for HIV. The only risk would be punctures with hollow needles which had been previously utilized to inject or withdraw material from a person with HIV, most often in a medical situation. The exception to that statement of course would be a Puncture wound from a hollow needle which had recently been used to inject or withdraw material from the body of a person such as an IV drug user who was already infected with HIV and untreated.
4.  I agree, the symptoms you describe our general and non-specific and are not the symptoms of the ARS which most typically presents as the simultaneous occurrence of high fever, severe sore throat along with muscle and joint aches.

I hope the information I have provided has been helpful to you. Take care. EWH
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55 months ago
Last 2 questions for future reference so I don't go in anxiety loop

1. Just briefly touching contaminated fluid say blood in environment with no cuts on hand poses no risk?
2. Briefly Touching contaminated fluid in environment like potential blood spots and then touching my fresh slightly bleeding cheek or lip bite wound poses no risk?

Thank you Dr your previous detailed response did put me at ease and I am going work on my anxiety. 


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Edward W. Hook M.D.
55 months ago

Your final questions are good ones:

1.  This is a complex issue and to be honest, in my opinion, the contradictory advice I'm about to mention serves to occasionally fuel unnecessary anxiety.  Some experts will tell you theoretically that touching contaminated fluid, blood in particular, may pose a very slight risk for infection.  The fact however is that the same experts will also assure you that mutual masturbation with an infected partner, despite the fact that this typically means that partners get each others' potentially infectious secretions on one another is a no risk event.  Thus, while it makes good sense to avoid touching blood or other potentially infectious materials in day to day life, I would not worry about the possibility that a surface might have been contaminated or that material you might touch might be a source of infection.  For all practical purposes, HIV is NOT spread through contract with inanimate objects.  Sorry for the complexity of this answer, trying to be thorough.  I would not worry at all about the situation you describe.

2.  Correct, within the context of my answer above.

I'll keep this thread open for a little bit just in case any part of this reply is unclear.  EWH 

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55 months ago
Thank you Dr again for details. Frankly my anxiety has caused me to look for red spots on objects like letters in mail and am always worried about those been blood. I guess from your response that's unwarranted and no risk for hiv. 

Also just to be crystal clear (for me) you would still say No risk associated with one of my events where I touched my slightly bleeding lip bite wound with my fingers. Few mins maybe 5 mins before the finger had touched banana that had red semi wet spot (not sure what it was ketchup or infectected material like blood), I had bought those bananas from BJ's 4 days so they had exposure to environment for 4 day minimum, assuming worst the spot was blood still.No Risk?
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Edward W. Hook M.D.
55 months ago

You are correct.  Looking for red spots on letters on items at the store is totally unnecessary and is no risk.

Correct as well, absolutely no risk from touching your slightly bleeding lip lesion.  Touching the bananas did not pose a risk.

This will complete this thread.  I hope my comments have been helpful. EWH

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55 months ago
Thank you Dr, based on your excellent details I will move forward in life with these no risk events and not worry about testing as thoughts if test itself fuels anxiety. 

I also will work on my anxiety. You can close this thread now and I am very much appreciative for value i got from your responses.