HIV?

[Dolly68]

Hi, I know I have asked a lot of questions lately related to anxiety and I have been taking care of that and seeing someone. I just have a legitimate question regarding HIV transmission. I was helping someone clean their room and I noticed dried blood on their sheet. I think I touched it. I went to wah my hands with soap and water but when I was scrubbing somehow some water squirted into my eye. I have a hunch that that person may have some sort STD or HIV positive blood. Is this a concern if it squirted into my eye? If you can help me I would appreciate it. I can't find any information on whether dry blood can get alive again through water and if it went into my eye if it would cause transmission.

[Amanda]

Hi Dolly,

You had no risk of HIV transmission. HIV (like most microbes, and sperm) cannot live long outside the body once exposed to air. Also the virus would not have been present in sufficient quantity for infection, and the blood did not make direct contact with an open cut or sore and thus had no way of entering your bloodstream.

[Dolly68]

I'm releived to hear that. Thank you very much for your help!!

[Amanda]

You're welcome!

[Dolly68]

Hi, I just realized that I have one more question regarding that night. After I touched the blood ( which you said had no risk) we washed the linnen. It was a regular cycle with cold water, regular detergent and then we dried it in the dryer. ( including the mattress pad.) After that I slept in that bed. Is that enough to kill the HIV that may have been present in the blood? Lastly, when I got into bed I was still nervous about touching the blood earlier. I put hand sanitizer on my hand and some dripped on the bed by mistake. I have heard that germs and viruses can travel through something wet. Now I just want to know- was the cleaning of the linnen on a regualar cycle and drying it enough to kill off the HIV? Second, would the wetness from the hand sanitizer allow it to go through my clothes ( which got a drop wet after I laid on the wet spot) and infect me? ( assuming that it has not been killed by a cold normal cycle in the washing machine) if you can help me out I would appreciate it. Im not generally exposed to these situations and I want to be safe.

[Ashleah]

These additional details do not change the level of risk. Amanda explained that there was already no risk, so taking any additional steps would not make a difference because there was not a risk in the first place. Does that make sense?

[Dolly68]

Yes that does make sense. Meaning once there's no risk nothing else in the situation would pose one. Thanks for your help.

[Heather]

In case you want to know more, we have a big rundown on HIV -- including how it is transmitted in reality -- here: Positively Informed: An HIV/AIDS Roundup.

[Dolly68]

Ok thank you so much. I'll read that article.

[Dolly68]

I read the article and have a pretty clear picture about it. I just have a question that the article did not clarify. Like I stated earlier I had an episode the other night where I wasn't sure if it was a risk. I just have one question. Let's say I touched something that the the person who was bleeding touched. I did not see blood on it but she was bleeding at the time and there may have been a trace on it. Then I touch my mouth or eyes. Is that a risk? I believe she had a cut that was bleeding for awhile before she noticed that she was bleeding and found blood in a few places afterward. ( places she touched ) also lets say there's a trace of blood on something would that die after a bit? How long would that be? What's the rule on items that touched the things she touched that may have had traces of blood? Like my bag touched her bed and I didn't see blood there but like I keep wondering if a trace was there and now it's on my bag and if I touch my eyes or mouth after I touch my bag it can be a problem.... It may seem far fetched I know but I have never been exposed to a situation like this till now so I'm gathering the info
I need to be informed for next time if it happens again with her.

[Ashleah]

Please reread Amanda's answer. It still gives you the information that you need to assess your risk.

[Dolly68]

So basically once you washed your hands its all over? No matter what you touch after etc? It can't be transmitted by touch or having a trace of the dried blood left on your hand and then using that hand to eat something or take medicine etc?

[Heather]

Unless you're not washing your hands properly -- in other words, you're only rinsing them, or using cold water, not warm or hot water, or being super-hasty -- this is a non-issue. Proper handwashing removes blood from the hands completely.

Of course, you were not actually exposed to fresh blood from this person in the first place, so in this case, that's moot anyway.

If in doubt about handwashing: The Simple And Underrated Art Of Washing Your Hands.

[Dolly68]

I never knew there was a specific way to wash our hands...So actually I used soap and cold water but I washed my hands for a nice amount of time and then I washed it like twice or three times and then even put purell on it after. That should be good to keep me safe and not be called hasty?

[Heather]

Did you see the part where I talked about how you did not even have the kind of blood exposure that presents a real risk in the first place? Or the part in the handwashing article that talks about how hand sanitizer works just as well as handwashing with soap and warm water?

As far as your health risks go with this, you either need to accept our answers (as in, it doesn't appear you had any HIV or other health risks in the first place) and put this to bed or, if you'd like, seek out a second opinion from an in-person medical professional. Since your post history here reflects a history with ongoing anxiety -- and worries about disease like this are one of the most common things people with anxiety disorders tend to experience -- I'd suggest you consult a healthcare professional on that token alone.

But we've really taken this as far with you as we can here based on what we can provide as a service.