What Are The Chances Of HIV Transmission Through Open Wounds?

Posted on Fri, 5 Dec 2014

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

Fri, 5 Dec 2014 Answered on

Fri, 2 Jan 2015 Last reviewed on

Question : Thank you very much.
I have a one big query.
As far as I know, the skin at the front inside of nose (where the hair is) is not the mucous membrane... is the same with normal skin. Right?
Acutally I have a HIV phobia,
So below is my query.
If someone has the cut on Hand and blood on hand, and he or she touch my nostril with that bloody hands , Do you think is there any risk to for HIV virus to be transmitted .
Actually I know that it is very low possibility to get HIV virus by mucous membrane... but it is not zero.
So I want to know doctor's comment and where is the exact mucous membrane in nose... somewhat deep form nostril?
Thank you very muchl.

Answered by Dr. Bharatesh Devendra Basti (-4 hours later)

Brief Answer:
Chances are nil if no open wound.

Detailed Answer:
Hi
Thank you for query. I am Dr Bharatesh D Basti answering your query.
The mucus membrane starts after the skin ends at the nasal opening junction. You can make out the color changes from your skin color to pinkish membrane.
If there is open wound in the area of contact of blood then there are minor chances of entry of virus as you told.
If no open or bleeding wound then the chances are nil.

You can get back for any clarification.

Thank you
Dr Bharatesh D Basti
Dermatologist and venereologist

Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Bhagyalaxmi Nalaparaju