paronychia and hiv

[Kpanganib]

hi, i would liek to ask if there are any possibilites on contracting an hiv because of thi? i fingered someone while i am having a semi healed swollen part on the side of my finger. should i take the test just in case or not?

[Nadine E.]

Hi there Kpanganib,

Could you share a bit more about why you're concerned about HIV specifically? Is the person you fingered HIV positive?

[Kpanganib]

she said no but still im not sure if i should believe that. im just scared that maybe in worst case scenario, if i assume that she's hiv positive, then does that mean i could have a chance of contracting the virus too?

[Willa]

Hi Kpanganib,

Is there a reason you believe she would not be truthful with you? Lying about STI status is extremely serious and a violation of trust and consent between partners. That being said HIV is possibly spread from contact between fluids such as vaginal fluids and a cut or open sore. I will link a source that goes into this in more detail: https://www.scarleteen.com/article/bodi ... ds_roundup
Testing after unprotected sex is already the best course of action, but if you have reason to believe your sexual partner was lying about her status then it would be relevant to request an HIV test as a part of the screening.

[Kpanganib]

Well at that time there were no visible cut in my fingers at that time or no open cut. Am i still at risk

[Sam W]

Hi Kpanganib,

As you'll see in that article Willa linked you, HIV is transmitted through 6 body fluids: blood, vaginal fluids, semen, pre-cum, rectal fluids, and breastmilk. But if those fluids touch unbroken skin, which it sounds like is the case here, then even if HIV is present, it can't be transmitted.

Too, it sounds like a bigger issue here is that you don't feel you can trust your partner about their STI status. Can you say a little more about why that is?

[Kpanganib]

Its because its my first time doing this and i maybe im having a little bit of trust issues on her.

[Sam W]

Got it. So, if you're having trouble trusting someone, that's a sign that you're not ready to be sexual with them, since trust is a BIG part of being sexual with another person. Given that, I'd say it's best to not engage in anything sexual with her going forward unless you resolve whatever it is that's causing you not to trust her. If it would be helpful, we can talk about what might be behind those trust issues.

[Kpanganib]

But in terms of the virus infection am i clear and should not be worried about it?

[StephR]

Yes, you are not at risk for HIV from this. The virus can't be transmitted through small cuts on your fingers or nails, and it definitely can't be transmitted through unbroken skin.