worried - HIV risk

[lifemystery]

I have 2 questions.
1. Here in India, I had been to a barber for a head shave. During shaving there was a cut and the barber used a piece of alum to stop the bleeding which is a common process here. But I noticed that the alum (stone like substance) was already red and maybe it was the blood that got collected when it was used on a previous customer who had left just 5 min before my head shave. This happened 2.5 months back. 1.5 month before I had fever with body ache and the doctor told it was flue. But I lost 2 kgs weight in the process. Till now I have been losing weight and it has reduced by 5 kgs. I have been following a ritual since one month where I have only fruits in the night and a strict veg diet throughout the day. Kindly let me know if I am at risk to have got HIV and if yes when I should go for the tests.

2. I have been to an erotic massage center 5.5 months back in thailand. It involved intensive body rubbing (Both me and her fully naked), hand job by her and fingering into her by me, sharing of bath tubs, lying on used air filled beds being used by previous customer too. Penis has touched her vagina from outside but no intercourse. No blow job or kissing. It was kind of a soapy massage and involved sharing of towels, brush and combs. Also had some minor cuts near to the anus and groin area. What are the posibility of her vaginal fluids entering into my body and resulting in HIV in me. She surely gives sexual services to other customers which involves blow job and full intercourse and she could be very much infected. I had sore throat and fever a month after the incident and the other incident that too place is mentioned in the first question. Kindly let me know if I am at risk to have got HIV and if yes when I should go for the tests..... I am worried and guilty for all this that has happened. Having sleepless nights and waiting for the window period to go for testing. I will also get married soon and I dont know what to do.

[sam2260]

i hv got my ans here bcoz i was facin the same prob barber shop. thanks god . i feeling cool now thank u dear

[H. Hunter Handsfield, M.D.]

These details do not matter.  The answers would not change my judgment that there was no risk.  I already said testing can be reliably done at 6 weeks.  You don't need additional tests at 3 or 6 months.  But it's fine with me if you want to do it anyway.  It's your money.  To my knowledge the tests in common use in India are the same ones usually used in North America and Western Europe.

I won't have any further comments.

[lifemystery]

Thanks Doc... it was nice getting your advise.

[lifemystery]

Hi Doc

What are the chances of HIV surviving on the alum if sufficient blood was present ? How long ?

Also during the massage, what if the pre ejaculation fluid from the penis was in contact with direct  vaginal fluid.

And what would you still advise as a reliable time to get tested. 3 months after the exposure or 6 months after. Here in india they have the ELISA tests. I am not sure how sophisticated and reliable this is.

Sorry for bothering you again and i guess the above will be my last queries

Thanks & Regards

[H. Hunter Handsfield, M.D.]

Nobody gets HIV through the sorts of exposure you describe.  To my knowledge, shaving in a barbershop has never been reported as a source of infection, and for it to happen, you have to string together a whole bunch of very unlikely occurrences:  the previous shaved person having HIV, that person being cut, enough blood so that it would be visible on the razor, the barber not cleaning the razor despite seeing blood, and an overt (deep) cut in you that you would have noticed.  It is not plausible that the alum was red because of blood; and in any case, I believe alum has disinfectant properties that would kill the virus, regardless of the presence of blood.

And nobody has ever caught HIV from an erotic massage.  Here too you have to string together too many improbable events.  And soap instantaneously kills HIV.

Your symptoms do not suggest HIV.  The identical symptoms are due to many other things that are more common than HIV, such as influenza, as your doctor suspected.

Finally, you already are beyond the window period.  With currently used HIV test, 6 weeks is plenty of time.  You don't actually need HIV testing on account of these events, except for the reassurance you will gain from the negative result.  You can be tested at any time now, with reliable results.

You clearly state the main problem here, your guilt about the sexual exposure.  Try to put HIV out of your mind.  It isn't an issue here.

I hope this helps.  Best wishes--  HHH, MD