As you guys may know, I've been dealing with anxiety over STIs. I'm not as worried as I was before about other STIs now(after being reassured by the workers at Scarleteen and the nurses and doctors at the youth clinic I go to), but I just want to make sure of something so I can stop thinking about it. Hepatitis C is scaring me because apparently there's a chance to contract it from sharing earrings. I know this might be silly of me to ask, but I really think it'll stop me from worrying, so please bear with me. So here are my situations: I wear earrings, and I have a bad habit of touching my earlobe and fiddling with my earrings and also a bad habit of peeling off skin off of the area where my ear got pierced. Occasionally while fiddling with my earrings sometimes the hole gets bigger(kind of like a cut? or it sort of splits)and sometimes it bleeds. If I were to touch everyday objects and then touch my ears again would there be a risk?(Taking in account for blood on ears?)(And does this apply for any other cuts on my body?) I've read that hepatitis C can live on surfaces for 16 hours, but no more than 4 days. I've shared earrings with probably only my sister and my best friend. I do not know of their status for hepatitis C. Should I get tested for it? I know this is also probably a silly question to ask, but it is unlikely and almost impossible to get HIV from getting my blood drawn out for a test by a nurse/doctor, right? And if I were to touch everyday objects and forget to wash my hands and masturbate, would there be a risk for any STIs?
Thanks again for the help, I really do appreciate it.
If there are ways for me to calm my anxiety on my own, please let me know as well.
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