Aa
I need a help
Hi. First of all sorry I don't speak English.
I'm very confused. I do camera installation service for a community clinic about Hiv, when I go there to work, there are a lot of patients there to have blood tests. I didn't have direct contact with anyone there, but while I was working, there was a collision with objects in the room. I had scrapes on my hands and feet from a car crash after two days, the wounds weren't bleeding but they were still red to the naked eye, and I was stupid for not dressing them up. After returning home I was very scared and looked up the documents about blood-borne infection. After 22 days I had a negative ag/ab combo test, I presented and the doctor advised me not to take the test anymore because there is no risk. Can I have peace of mind? Please let me know is my case safe?
Thank you.
I'm very confused. I do camera installation service for a community clinic about Hiv, when I go there to work, there are a lot of patients there to have blood tests. I didn't have direct contact with anyone there, but while I was working, there was a collision with objects in the room. I had scrapes on my hands and feet from a car crash after two days, the wounds weren't bleeding but they were still red to the naked eye, and I was stupid for not dressing them up. After returning home I was very scared and looked up the documents about blood-borne infection. After 22 days I had a negative ag/ab combo test, I presented and the doctor advised me not to take the test anymore because there is no risk. Can I have peace of mind? Please let me know is my case safe?
Thank you.
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2 Comments
Thanks for help. One more thing I want to ask, Duo agab test after 4 weeks is highly valuable, why CDC recommends retesting after 3 months. So the results after 28 days are not authentic? I think people who have high frequency of sex and inject drugs should be tested again after 3 months, is that correct? A doctor told me that they just remind me, but after 28 days it is safe for hiv, in the hospital they have to say after 3 months because that is the regulation of the Ministry of Health of Vietnam.
So, it feels pointless and fruitless to answer testing questions to someone that had ZERO risk. We don't want to keep you in the anxiety loop that you can't get yourself out of and that's what you are doing by continuing to question. But, for the sake of information as your LAST question they will likely allow here--- results do not change after 28 days when you take a 4th generation duo test. The guideline by conservative sites can sometimes say 6 weeks for a 4th generation DUO test to be conclusive but they do not change between day 28 and that time. ALL other tests are conclusive at 3 months. I do not know why your country says to retest at 3 months but it is inaccurate and possibly because not everyone knows the type of test they took and that encompasses everyone. but you don't need to test as you had NO risk. Period. End of story.
You have nothing to worry about. You can not get HIV from objects (even if you had cuts and scrapes from your car accident). The ONLY ways that people get HIV is to have unprotected vaginal or anal sex or share IV drug needles to inject drugs. Touching things does NOT transmit HIV. Air inactivates the virus so this is no risk and no reason to test.
15 Comments
Thanks for the help. Actually, besides worrying about that, I was really obsessed with stepping on needles, I didn't have any feeling at that time but after coming back from that office my leg was aching for a month, and then a week later my throat got dysphagia. I'm really scared and haunted, because I haven't had sex for 4 years (I'm a monk), so the blood and blood related to H makes me feel nervous. How stupid is it that I always question whether I step on a needle or not?
It's not stupid, but it is a sign of irrational worrying and anxiety. If you are able, you should see a mental health counselor. They can really help you learn to deal with these thoughts.
In Vietnam, doctors consider the wound when the skin has not healed and is still red or bleeding, it is still an open wound. I was consulted by the doctor like that, and they also said that there are cases where the needle is pricked but can't feel it. In addition, they provide information that the H virus can still live for 1-3 days outside. I waited to do the duo ag/ab test after 22 days, then I read and knew the results were not very safe. I think I'm crazy.
Intense anxiety and even obsessive compulsive disorder with intrusive thoughts, fears and phobias is not crazy. Your brain is just in overdrive. How do they handle mental health in your country? Health anxiety is common. It plagues a lot of people, you aren't alone. There are online resources for it if there aren't a lot to find in your country. Medications for anxiety disorders? Do they prescribe those in your country? https://vietnamisawesome.com/articles/mental-health-services-vietnam That article kind of goes through some ideas on services. There is medication that could really help you. Therapy as well. You aren't 'crazy'. But perhaps need some mental rewiring right now.
Sure. I know things are going badly. I'm scared and even quit my job. I know many documents that emphasize transmission only occurs when having sex without using condoms and sharing needles with injection drug users. But things are slowly getting out of control as I always think about the worst case scenario. I signed up for psychotherapy, thanks for the help.
Since there were so many comments about the open wound, I didn't know what to do. Friends in the world say my wound has healed after 2 days and is not an open wound. But doctors seem to be more careful, saying that only when the skin is healed can they consider it not an open wound. Anyway, everything happened. I can only pray with faith.
" they provide information that the H virus can still live for 1-3 days outside." You need a better doctor. If it lived that long everyone would have it by now because we all get cuts - however NO ONE gets hiv that way after 40 years of hiv history. The first step to peace before the therapy starts is to stop googling and talking to people about this impossible method of transmission (total waste of your time doing this too) otherwise you will continue to get more anxious.
This forum is guided by experts in HIV. You really can not get HIV from touching objects. Or even people. Air will inactivate any virus. I understand there is a lot on the web but that again comes from the HIV expert doctors that help the stance of this site. I am sorry that you felt like you had to quit your job. I am very glad you signed up for psychotherapy (and hopefully some medication if warranted) to overcome this so you can get back to your life. This is hard but you can not get HIV in the manner you explained here. You just can't. Wishing you peaceful thoughts.
I thought that it was only in Vietnam with not very good facilities and communication about Hiv that the same situation happened to me. After entering this forum, I have seen quite a few cases of fear like mine around the world. I realized that a person who did not have sex, did not inject drugs and did not work in the health sector was so afraid of contracting HIV. I feel better already. Thank you guys, when it's better I'll come back and let you guys know.
Great. I wish you all the best in overcoming this.
I would like to inform you of new information, after 32 days I have a murex combo ag/ab test with psychometric results. If there is a risk with that H, am I safe? In Vietnam, I need to do the test again after 3 months to confirm, but I will probably not test anymore, more than enough for the madness. I mentioned that I thought I stepped on someone's needle, and they said that if I ever had to do that, the needle would be stuck in my leg, it would hurt, and it would be impossible not to feel it. Is that true ?
So, you are seeking reassurance simply because of anxiety. Anxiety lies. You had no risk and a stuck needle isn't a risk. Yes, you'd know if you did it. No need to test again at all and keep that psychologist appointment.
Hello, it's me again.
Last time I got better and continued with another job. I have joined a volunteer HIV counseling activity. After contacting and talking with patients I see that some people say that they are not at risk for Hiv but are diagnosed by accident. There are cases where they have not had sex for many years, most of them do not work in the medical field, so there are no occupational accidents. I wonder if there are any possible cases of HIV transmission other than unprotected sex and injection drug use sharing needles? Others create a controversy because most patients hide the cause because it is very delicate and they are embarrassed. 80% of the concealed patients are gay or sex workers, in my country many people still discriminate against LGBT and they themselves stigmatize themselves. I went there to help but now I feel pretty bad because of this information. Do daily activities still find hidden dangers with HIV?
Last time I got better and continued with another job. I have joined a volunteer HIV counseling activity. After contacting and talking with patients I see that some people say that they are not at risk for Hiv but are diagnosed by accident. There are cases where they have not had sex for many years, most of them do not work in the medical field, so there are no occupational accidents. I wonder if there are any possible cases of HIV transmission other than unprotected sex and injection drug use sharing needles? Others create a controversy because most patients hide the cause because it is very delicate and they are embarrassed. 80% of the concealed patients are gay or sex workers, in my country many people still discriminate against LGBT and they themselves stigmatize themselves. I went there to help but now I feel pretty bad because of this information. Do daily activities still find hidden dangers with HIV?
Doctors that are experts in the field agree that HIV is only transmitted in specific ways. This is a moderated forum so they are very clear about this. People get HIV from having unprotected vaginal or anal sex or sharing IV drug needles. So, in answer to your question, no.
Thank. What about accidentally stepping on a needle?
Our members have patiently answered your questions and clearly stated you had zero risk . We wish you the best.
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Your situation involves personal contact with an object in air ( needle prick, blood etc. ). You will be happy to learn that you had no risk, because you can't get hiv from personal contact except unprotected penetrating vaginal or anal with a penis, neither of which you did and you didn't share hollow needles to inject with which is the only other way to acquire hiv - there are ONLY 3 ways to get hiv. Note that 2 of them require a penis and the third requires a hollow injecting shared needle - there are no OTHER ways to get hiv. Analysis of large numbers of infected people over the 40 years of hiv history has proven that people don't get hiv in the way you are worried is a risk.
Hiv is a fragile virus in air or saliva and is effectively instantly dead in either air or saliva so the WORST that could happen is dead virus rubbed you, and obviously anything which is dead cannot live again so you are good. Blood and cuts would not be relevant in your situation since the hiv has become effectively dead, so you don't have to worry about them to be sure that you are safe.
There is no reason for a person to test when they are safe. The advice took into consideration that the other person might be positive, so move on and enjoy life instead of thinking about this non-event. hiv prevention is straightforward since there are only 3 ways you can become infected, so next time you wonder if you had a risk, ask yourself this QUESTION. "Did I do any of the 3?" Then after you say "No, I didn't" you will know that it's time to move on back to your happy life.
No one got hiv from what you did during 40 years of hiv history and no one will get it in the next 40 years of your life either. You can do what you did any time and be safe from hiv.
The other person's status is irrelevant when you have no exposure to live virus.