I Was Wandering The Possibility Of Contracting Hiv Through Smoking Equipment

Posted on Thu, 12 Nov 2020

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

Thu, 12 Nov 2020 Answered on

Tue, 6 May 2025 Last reviewed on

Question : I was wandering the possibility of contracting hiv through smoking equipment. I was smoking drugs with someone that has hiv through a glass pipe when I noticed both our lips were cracked but not bleeding. is it possible that the lip wounds being moist could become a vessel for microscopic blood particles to be transmitted into my cracked lip. i am very concerned. I used a lighter to heat the mouthpiece for about 7-10 seconds between each pass to "kill" any bacteria would this make any difference?

Answered by Dr. Sankaranantham Murugan (1 hour later)

Brief Answer:
Your HIV risk is almost negligible only.

Detailed Answer:
Hi,
HIV transmission through inanimate objects is extremely rare.
Sharing vessels, utensils, cups have no risk for HIV transmission. This is well applicable also to sharing the smoking pipes.
HIV concentration in human saliva is vey much low as it could not cause a new infection. Even in the presence of cracks over the lip, the chances of HIV transmission is extremely rare. I have come across thousands of HIV cases in my practice. We used advise them safe sex, hygenic procedures like taking safe drinking water, food, washing hands before and after eating and after toiletting, avoiding bare foot walking, insist on trimming of nails etc. and not insist on sharing objects as the transmission of HIV through inanimate objects is almsot nil. HIV transmission needs exchange of body fluids. We knew many people with HIV are sharing plates, glasses and tumblers among their family members for years and there no transmisstion through these things. This could be same with sharing of smoking. HIV cannot withstand outsidethe body fluids not for more than few seconds and it cannot survive in temperatures above 56 degree centigrade.
Dr S.Murugan.

Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Kampana

Follow up: Dr. Sankaranantham Murugan (1 hour later)

thank you for your detailed response dr XXXXXXX I appreciate it alot! iknow saliva alone can not transmit hiv i guess my biggest concern here was microscopic traces of infected blood still lying on the utensil from the surface of BOTH our lips being cracked and touching it. Although it is not visually bleeding my concern is the moistness from saliva on the wound would lift up molecular traces of blood onto the utensil. is this a possibility for transmission?

Answered by Dr. Sankaranantham Murugan (1 hour later)

Brief Answer:
The possibility is very much unlikely

Detailed Answer:
Hi,
Welcome back.
This could be a theoretical possibility. Not happens commonly. I am following up hundreds of family members of the people living with HIV including children and almost all of them exposed continuously a situation described by you. None of them have turned positive in this manner. It is also unheard. The virus cannot exist outside for not more than few seconds.
Even if we consider the one who shared with you is having HIV, and if he is on ART drugs, then his viral load would have been likely to be undetectable, then also he ceases to be non-infectious.
So not to worry about the odd possibilities.
Dr S Murugan

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Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Vaishalee Punj