Aa
Blood on toilet seat
I’m just getting quite anxious about whether or not I could have contracted the HIV virus. Last Friday, I entered a toilet cubicle (in a female bathroom at my workplace) as soon as another person came out and without checking whether there was anything on the toilet seat, I sat down and urinated. When I got up, I noticed that there were some red stains on the seat (which did not belong to me) and I was afraid that my butt might have come into direct contact with the blood on the seat, which could have been fresh. I know that the HIV virus can be contracted if fresh blood entered through broken skin/open wound but I was wondering what constitutes broken skin/open wound in the context of HIV transmission? I was wondering if I’m at any risk for HIV and if I should get tested for it?
"I know that the HIV virus can be contracted if fresh blood entered through broken skin/open wound .." No, that is wrong. The virus is fragile and effectively dies instantly in air so only non sex risk is sharing needles that you quickly inject with. You were a long way from that, which is why no one gets it from blood on toilet seats.
3 Comments
Hi AnxiousNoMore, thanks for your response! Why is it then possible for HIV to be transmitted through sharing needles? Technically the HIV virus would be outside the human body when it's inside the needle right?
You had no risk and a test would be a waste of time.
HIV is instantly inactivated in air and also in saliva which means it is effectively dead so it can't infect from touching, external rubbing or oral activities. It doesn't matter if you and they were actively bleeding or had cuts at the time either because the HIV is effectively dead.
Only adult risks are the following:
1. unprotected penetrating vaginal
2. unprotected penetrating anal sex
3. sharing needles that you inject with. Knowing these 3 are all you need to know to protect yourself against HIV. Your situation is a long way from any of these 3.
Even with blood, lactation, cuts, rashes, burns, etc the air or the saliva does not allow inactivated virus to infect from touching, external rubbing or oral activities. The above HIV science is 40 years old and very well established so there is no detail that you can add that will make any of your encounter a risk for HIV. No one in 40 years of HIV history got HIV from the situation you are concerned about so it is unlikely that it will happen in the next 40 of your lifetime either.
HIV is instantly inactivated in air and also in saliva which means it is effectively dead so it can't infect from touching, external rubbing or oral activities. It doesn't matter if you and they were actively bleeding or had cuts at the time either because the HIV is effectively dead.
Only adult risks are the following:
1. unprotected penetrating vaginal
2. unprotected penetrating anal sex
3. sharing needles that you inject with. Knowing these 3 are all you need to know to protect yourself against HIV. Your situation is a long way from any of these 3.
Even with blood, lactation, cuts, rashes, burns, etc the air or the saliva does not allow inactivated virus to infect from touching, external rubbing or oral activities. The above HIV science is 40 years old and very well established so there is no detail that you can add that will make any of your encounter a risk for HIV. No one in 40 years of HIV history got HIV from the situation you are concerned about so it is unlikely that it will happen in the next 40 of your lifetime either.
Ok thanks for the reassurance, I just want to make sure that I have no risk whatsoever of contracting HIV
You are reading content posted in the HIV Prevention Community
Condoms are the most effective way to prevent HIV and STDs.
PrEP is used by people with high risk to prevent HIV infection.
Can I get HIV from surfaces, like toilet seats?
Can you get HIV from casual contact, like hugging?
Frequency of HIV testing depends on your risk.
Post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP) may help prevent HIV infection.
