Aa
HIV from stepping on needle?
Recently I walked 2 blocks in my neighborhood barefoot, because my shoes were causing a lot of pain. The blocks were uphill, very steep. I live in a very upper class residential area and I have never seen any homeless/drug-using people on the streets in my neighborhood.
However when I got home there was a cut on my big toe (kind of a U-shaped cut, like something had sliced into it, did not look like a pinprick). I asked my boyfriend what it could be, and he said I probably tripped at some point, on a stone or grate or something. There are some metal grates and manholes on the path I walked. We both had a little to drink, so I hadn't been aware that I had injured myself until I got home.
Anyway, I've gone nuts worrying that A.) I actually tripped on a used needle and B.) the needle was contaminated with HIV and C.) I have HIV now. My boyfriend says it would be irrational to test after something like this, because the injury obviously wasn't from a needle and it would only exacerbate my anxiety. I'm quite paranoid and I'm still worried. I hear HIV dies really quickly outside of the body, and I've even heard that after a few minutes even HIV+ blood is not infectious if it no longer has a "host" (ie: body). What is the status on this? What if I actually crushed the entire needle with my foot and got the blood within the needle on me? Granted, I probably would have felt something like that a little more obviously, but...
Other thoughts- since it was such a steep hill, would a needle even be able to sit on it without tumbling down? Ugh, I can't stop worrying :/
However when I got home there was a cut on my big toe (kind of a U-shaped cut, like something had sliced into it, did not look like a pinprick). I asked my boyfriend what it could be, and he said I probably tripped at some point, on a stone or grate or something. There are some metal grates and manholes on the path I walked. We both had a little to drink, so I hadn't been aware that I had injured myself until I got home.
Anyway, I've gone nuts worrying that A.) I actually tripped on a used needle and B.) the needle was contaminated with HIV and C.) I have HIV now. My boyfriend says it would be irrational to test after something like this, because the injury obviously wasn't from a needle and it would only exacerbate my anxiety. I'm quite paranoid and I'm still worried. I hear HIV dies really quickly outside of the body, and I've even heard that after a few minutes even HIV+ blood is not infectious if it no longer has a "host" (ie: body). What is the status on this? What if I actually crushed the entire needle with my foot and got the blood within the needle on me? Granted, I probably would have felt something like that a little more obviously, but...
Other thoughts- since it was such a steep hill, would a needle even be able to sit on it without tumbling down? Ugh, I can't stop worrying :/
It's not a strange question coming from someone that has severe OCD, but this forum is HIV specific.
Oh..um...sorry. Didn't think this was such a strange question. I spoke to a friend and she said she would be freaking out if this happened to her.
Is the "move along" because the injury obviously wasn't from a needle, or because even if it was a needle, it would be no-risk? I apologize...
Is the "move along" because the injury obviously wasn't from a needle, or because even if it was a needle, it would be no-risk? I apologize...
Move along.
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