[Question #9992] Non sexual exposure

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26 months ago

I was using the restroom earlier at my friends house when I noticed that the toilet paper roll I had just finished using had a smudge of blood on it (very confident it was period blood as my friend had mentioned being on her period). There were a large group of people at the house over the weekend, and I had used the same restroom/toilet paper roll a few times, I am completely unsure as to when the blood could have got on there. My question is assuming I had used the toilet paper with the blood on it to wipe myself (and assuming the blood was fresh), do I have any risk at all for HIV or HEP C ? I’ve had anal fissures in the past which makes me even more paranoid. I struggle with crippling OCD and this event has been very difficult to clear from my mind. Is there any risk at all here for HIV/HEP C (percentages would be much appreciated), or a need for testing? Can I resume sexual acts with my partner without worry? Thank you guys so much for the work that you do, it’s much appreciated! 
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H. Hunter Handsfield, MD
26 months ago
Welcome back to the forum. Thank you for your continued confidence in our services.

I suspect you realize that these concerns are related primarily to your OCD, which was addressed in your three previous threads as well.

It isn't possible to acquire HIV, hepatitis C virus, or any other blood borne infection from the sort of contact you describe here. Several reasons are behind my judgment of no risk at all. First, statistically, the chance the person whose blood was left on the TP has HIV or hepatitis C virus probably is nearly zero. (Have you ever had a friend or close contact who had either of these viruses?) Second, a "smudge" of blood isn't likely to be infectious, especially if it had dried. Third, it seems very unlikely you used the smudged segment of TP to wipe yourself. Finally, if somehow you did, there is no way enough virus could be transmitted to take hold and cause infection, even if it directly contacted an open anal fissure. (Which you describe as "in the past" -- assuming no pain or other typical symptoms at the time of this event, you can safely assume you had no fissure at the time.) As for a percentage estimate, I can't put a percentage on "zero risk"! You can and should continue with your normal sexual contacts and practices with your partner without worry.

A basic characteristic of OCD is that simply hearing facts an evidence usually is not sufficient to eliminate worry or concern. OCD almost always dictates thoughts or questions like "yes but", "could I be the exception", and so on. I will assure you right now that there is no circumstance likely to come to mind that would alter my judgment or advice about this event.

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

HHH, MD
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26 months ago
Thank you very much for your detailed response, it’s definitely helpful to hear. The blood stain was roughly the size of a nickel, that’s what I meant earlier when I referred to it as a “smudge”. Just to clarify, assuming I did come in contact with the blood when wiping (and it was fresh - suppose I used the bathroom immediately after the person who was bleeding -and assuming whoever left it WAS infected with hep c or HIV) would you still assess this as a “no risk” situation? 
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H. Hunter Handsfield, MD
26 months ago
I hope you recognize that such "what if" questions reflect the typical thought processes of many or most persons with OCD. IF all those things were true, and IF the infected person with HIV or HCV were not on effective treatment, and IF s/he had an especially high viral load, and IF you actually had an anal fissure or other open sore, and IF the wiping were quite vigorous or prolonged, I can imagine that there would be a small risk of becoming infected. But I hope you understand (intellectually if not at a gut level) that the odds of all these contingencies breaking the wrong way is zero for all practical purposes. Also understand that probably nobody has ever been reliably reported to have been infected by environmental exposure to these viruses. Do you really imagine being the first?

And so the real answer is yes, I would still consider this a no risk situation.
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26 months ago
Thank you again for your response. I understand this is my last thread so I’ll try my best to some everything up briefly. It is extremely difficult for me to cope with any risk at all, no matter how small given how my OCD works. Also, the fact that this was a non sexual exposure is much more upsetting to me as it feels completely out of my control and unfair. I also recently entered a relationship that I feel safe in sexually for the first time in a long time, and I don’t want something like this to ruin that for me. Given all the details I provided in my previous two threads, assuming all of the “IF’s” applied .. the blood was fresh etc. this would still be a 0 risk situation in your opinion? If you were somehow in my position would you get tested or feel safe to continue sexual acts with your partner? I think I’m just ultimately seeking the reassurance that I do not need testing (not even small risk) and can continue sleeping with my partner without feeling paranoid or guilty. Anyway, thank you again very much for taking the time to listen, my OCD & I greatly appreciate it. 
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H. Hunter Handsfield, MD
26 months ago
I'm sorry, but I won't play this game. The possibility that all the "ifs" would break the wrong way is zero for all practical purposes. All I will say is that if I were in your situation, I definitely would not get tested and I absolutely would continue unprotected sex with my wife without worry. I do hope this discussion helps diminish your worries -- but you know that your OCD is the problem here. I wish you well in dealing with it.

As you know, we do not continue to reply to repeated questions on the same topic, especially when anxiety driven -- so as you predicted, this must be your last question along these lines. Repeated questions are subject to deletion without reply, and without refund of the posting fee. I do hope this discussion, and your previous ones, have been helpful. Best wishes and stay safe.
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