Pissed off at my Dermatologist

[Pamsof]

Hi, today I visited my dermatologist for acne problem. He did inject me with antibiotics directly into acne to control spread. I saw he used new syringe and needle just realized after I left his office he was not wearing gloves. He had clean gauze in his hand by which he was cleaning speck of blood at injection site as he was going from one acne to another, he used the same guaze.  And btw this was in US.

Did this Dr out me at risk for HIV?

[Sara_MHModerator]

We are now closing this discussion.

***  thread closed ***

[GuitarRox]

You had no risk, whatsoever for HIV.  HIV is transmitted by unprotected vaginal or anal sex or sharing IV drug needles.  All health care workers should glove up but his wasn't a risk for HIV transmission.  Air inactivates the virus.  You can't touch someone and get HIV. ZERO RISK.

[Pamsof]

Thank you for quick response just one more clarity if the dr had small cuts in his hand etc still No Risk?.

[GuitarRox]

Zero risk.  You can not get HIV from his hand with or without small cuts.  I listed three ways adults get HIV:  1. unprotected vaginal sex. 2. unprotected anal sex.  3. sharing IV drug needles.  If you haven't done one of those three things, you do not need to worry about HIV.

[Pamsof]

Sorry to post here again but I think the dr incidence has left me with anxiety. I have always been a strong and rational person but lately it's difficult.

Here is another situation I need your advice on. Yesterday while eating banana I bit my lips. It started to bleed a bit. Without thinking I touched the wound with my fingers. Latter in the day when I was putting rest of bananas away I saw a wet red dot on one of the bananas it was wet as when I wiped it with tissue got a small red streak.

So here my crazy mind going in hyper drive. What if that red thing was someone else's blood? Concerned if that thing was on my fingers when I touched my open wound on lips.

Some context I had bought those bananas from market 4 days back. So my rational mind is thinking no way blood if it's from someone else will.be wet after 4 days since I keep those bananas outside not in refrigerator.

So my 2 questions

1. Is this a risk for hiv
2. Will blood stay we after 4 days exposure.

Thanks you all atkeat I have a place where I can speak openely.

Apologies for long message.

[AnxiousNoMore]

Your situation involves personal contact with an object in air  banana, maybe blood, maybe spit, maybe body fluids  etc.). No hiv worries, because you can't get hiv from personal contact except unprotected penetrating vaginal or anal, neither of which you did and you didn't share hollow needles to inject with which is the only other way to acquire 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. For example in your current situation the answer would be NO, I DIDN'T because there was no unprotected penetrating anal or vaginal sex nor was there any use of a shared hollow needle used for injection, so obviously it is a NO risk.
Instead of going through the millions of things you do in a day and individually wondering if there was a risk, just study the 3 above.

[Pamsof]

Thank you for your response. Obviously I did not do any of those 3 risky things. Btw any idea how long a drop of blood will remain infectious for hiv and wet outside body?

[AnxiousNoMore]

Your questions are endless and getting pointless. My advice answered your latest question anyway. Move on.