[Question #8583] To be on the safe side

42 months ago

Dear doctors,

This is an information found online. Is it correct?

HIV becomes non-infectious within seconds outside of the body. People who say otherwise don’t know what they are talking about. HIV is so fragile that the only way it can infect somebody new is to get from the body of an already infected person to the body of an uninfected person without ever being exposed to air.

The only significant ways this happens in the real world are through sex, sharing of injection needles, improperly screened blood transfusions, and vaginal birth to an infected mother. HIV has no significant risk of transmission in any other manner.

Thank you

Edward W. Hook M.D.

42 months ago

This is a repetitive question. As I said yesterday, "HIV is transmitted only through direct mucosal contact or injection of infected material deep into tissue. The virus becomes non-infectious virtually immediately upon exposure to the air/environment or inanimate objects. There are no reports of HIV being transmitted when persons get each other’s genital secretion on one another in the context of mutual masturbation, following contact with contaminated inanimate objects or following transfer of infections material from person to person on someone’s hand."

EWH

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42 months ago

Just wanted to understand because online there are persons claiming they get infected by transfer of body fluids by hands. Of course your opinion is that one that I believe.

That means using a condom always, if it doesn’t broke is enough to have 100% peace of mind and no need to be obsessed about the details about contaminated hands.

Edward W. Hook M.D.

42 months ago

This statement is correct. STIs are NOT transmitted through transfer of infectious materials on a persons hands to another person. EWH---

42 months ago

Thank you for your patience with answers.

I was therefore at no risk and can confidently forget about that worry right?

I know this closed the topic.

Thank you for your great service, your compassionate and relaxed help is precious.

Edward W. Hook M.D.

42 months ago

Correct. As I said before, there was no risk in the situation you described.

This completes this thread. Take care. EWH

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