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Am I at risk? Please help me, I'm so scared!
Four weeks ago I went to a medical laboratory where they tested for my blood group. I knew the nurse there and she did it herself. She opened a new needle, picked a (new) glass slide from a neat stack, pricked my finger tip with the needle and then wiped the blood coming on my finger with the corners of the slide - before dipping it into the solution. I didn't see any blood on the slide before but I didn't really look carefully. I chatted to the nurse for about 5 minutes before getting my blood drawn and they didn't seem to be working there very recently either. I'm not sure if she put the slide down on the table before wiping my blood with it, but a friend who was with me remembers that she didn't put it down, but held in in her hand (with gloves). The table seemed clean, in any eventuality.
2-3 weeks later I developed this strange 'cold' - vague headache, vague dizziness, feeling a fullness in my throat (but not sore) and behind my nose, feeling my head heavy and hurt when I moved my eyes. I got a couple of swollen lymph nodes in my upper neck - small (7-8mm), very soft and mobile, a bit tender. My throat was a bit reddish with slightly swollen tonsils on one side.
Three days into this, I ate a tiramisu cake and 30 minutes later, I started feeling nausea which got worse over the next few hours. 5 hours later, I vomited 3 times, developed a low grade fever of 99.5 (37.5) and then I had 3 bouts of watery diarrhea. The next morning the fever, nausea and diarrhea were gone but I had a pain in my stomach for another 2 days and couldn't stand up because of it.
Now I feel fine, one week after the first head/neck symptoms and 4 days after the vomiting episode.
Might I have been exposed to HIV by that procedure? Can these have been conversion symptoms of HIV? Does the vomiting/fever episode seem related to the first symptoms or more likely unrelated food poisoning?
Should I go get tested for HIV again this week? I tested myself 2 months ago and I was OK.
2-3 weeks later I developed this strange 'cold' - vague headache, vague dizziness, feeling a fullness in my throat (but not sore) and behind my nose, feeling my head heavy and hurt when I moved my eyes. I got a couple of swollen lymph nodes in my upper neck - small (7-8mm), very soft and mobile, a bit tender. My throat was a bit reddish with slightly swollen tonsils on one side.
Three days into this, I ate a tiramisu cake and 30 minutes later, I started feeling nausea which got worse over the next few hours. 5 hours later, I vomited 3 times, developed a low grade fever of 99.5 (37.5) and then I had 3 bouts of watery diarrhea. The next morning the fever, nausea and diarrhea were gone but I had a pain in my stomach for another 2 days and couldn't stand up because of it.
Now I feel fine, one week after the first head/neck symptoms and 4 days after the vomiting episode.
Might I have been exposed to HIV by that procedure? Can these have been conversion symptoms of HIV? Does the vomiting/fever episode seem related to the first symptoms or more likely unrelated food poisoning?
Should I go get tested for HIV again this week? I tested myself 2 months ago and I was OK.
I'm really sorry for bothering you again, but there are some new developments and would appreciate your opinion, even if it's just telling me I'm obsessive-compulsive.
15 days after having unprotected sex with my husband, today, he started feeling very ill, extremely fatigued with a headache, very sore throat and low grade fever. It seems like he's down with the flu.
I did forget about hiv all this time and didn't think about having it anymore but I can't help noticing the timing of his illness 2 weeks after we had intercourse (we were trying to conceive).
Is there any chance that I might have given him hiv? I feel so guilty at the thought.
15 days after having unprotected sex with my husband, today, he started feeling very ill, extremely fatigued with a headache, very sore throat and low grade fever. It seems like he's down with the flu.
I did forget about hiv all this time and didn't think about having it anymore but I can't help noticing the timing of his illness 2 weeks after we had intercourse (we were trying to conceive).
Is there any chance that I might have given him hiv? I feel so guilty at the thought.
I feel better now, all seems resolved... I was just wondering if I should retest myself.
In the worst eventuality if there were any traces of blood on the slide or the table (if she actually put it down before using it), it would have to be a lot of it / be visible in order to be a risk for infection, correct?
And because she only wiped blood coming out of my finger, and didn't insert anything, it's even less probable?
These are my last questions, I'm sorry for troubling you.
In the worst eventuality if there were any traces of blood on the slide or the table (if she actually put it down before using it), it would have to be a lot of it / be visible in order to be a risk for infection, correct?
And because she only wiped blood coming out of my finger, and didn't insert anything, it's even less probable?
These are my last questions, I'm sorry for troubling you.
Thank you for answering!
It does sound like food poisoning, doesn't it? Do you think it's unrelated to the previous symptoms?
It does sound like food poisoning, doesn't it? Do you think it's unrelated to the previous symptoms?
Thank you so much for answering... I kept thinking about how I could have gotten something from there and it's true there doesn't seem to be any definite exposure. But my symptoms were very unusual for me and that's why I go worried - especially the first 3 days that felt like coming down with the flu but not really having a flu.
That is no risk at all & it sounds like you ate cake that made you sick.Please forget this event because HIV is not transmitted that way.
You never had an exposure.
HIV is unable to reproduce outside its living host (unlike many bacteria or fungi, which may do so under suitable conditions), except under laboratory conditions; therefore, it does not spread or maintain infectiousness outside its host.
HIV is transmitted by;
Unprotected penetrative anal and/or vaginal sex
Sharing works with other IV drug users
Mother to child
HIV is unable to reproduce outside its living host (unlike many bacteria or fungi, which may do so under suitable conditions), except under laboratory conditions; therefore, it does not spread or maintain infectiousness outside its host.
HIV is transmitted by;
Unprotected penetrative anal and/or vaginal sex
Sharing works with other IV drug users
Mother to child
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