Can HIV Be Contracted By Handling Blood Soaked Clothes?

Posted on Mon, 25 Sep 2017

Medically reviewed by Ask A Doctor - 24x7 Medical Review Team

Mon, 25 Sep 2017 Answered on

Wed, 18 Oct 2017 Last reviewed on

Question : Can you tell me if I'm at risk for hiv if I was exposed to some unknown person blood on a shirt that he was bleeding through and I was shoved into him and my eye and face came into contact with his blood soaked shirt .

Answered by Dr. Sankaranantham Murugan (42 minutes later)

Brief Answer:
HIV risk is negligible

Detailed Answer:
Hi,
Welcome to HCM.
Thanks for posting your query.
HIV can not be viable outside blood or blood products not more than few seconds.
As long as the blood stain on the shirt is wet, it might be considered as infectious provided that individual has HIV infection, once the stain dried, then there would not be any risk. Even with the wet blood stain shirt contact the HIV risk
(https://www.yyyy.yyv/yyv/ryyy/yyyyyyyy/riyyyyyyyyors.html) is negligible only.
Dr S.Murugan

Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar

Follow up: Dr. Sankaranantham Murugan (37 minutes later)

It was definitely wet blood so I'm not sure if you are advising a test or not?

Answered by Dr. Sankaranantham Murugan (2 hours later)

Brief Answer:
Rule out HIV infection and feel free

Detailed Answer:
Hi,
Welcome back.
If it was wet blood, then your HIV risk is negligible. You can take up a HIV test 12 weeks after the contact with blood and rule out the negligible risk also. It will relieve unnecessary mental tension
Dr S Murugan

Note: For further follow up on related General & Family Physician Click here.

Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Kampana