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Dr. Andrew Rynne
MD
Dr. Andrew Rynne

Family Physician

Exp 50 years

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Will I Get HIV Infection After I Touch The Blood?

hi there i had a incident at my shop were a guy came in and has a bandage in his left hand small finder which was bleeding very heavily because i saw the blood coming through it and he has surplus blood on same hand on palm. I touched his right hand with my left hand just briefly and then got worried because i had a quite open break on my skin on my middle finger which occured 3 days before this indent. I have been worried since because 5 days after this happened i had a horse voice which lasted 2 days and i had e red little patch which showed at night and then went away in the morning leaving me with a little dry spot which i peeled and skin went raw. Am i at risk of hiv.
Fri, 24 Feb 2023
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General & Family Physician,  's  Response
Hi,

Of course, theoretical there is a possibility, of your having HIV infection thru blood to blood contact, if the blood of other person has come into direct contact with the break in your skin and also, if the other person is suffering from HIV infection.

However, in your case, the symptoms you are describing can not be due to presence of HIV infection, as the incubation period of HIV infection is at least one month, even taken on lower side. Therefore, symptoms may not be felt before this time. Also, the earliest symptoms of HIV infection are generally presenting as flu, cold like symptoms with fever, involvement of lymph glands and generalized body rashes etc. Mere presence of sore throat, 5 days after the contact or appearance of a single red little patch on the skin, is not an indicator of HIV infection.

However, if you are still apprehensive about the infection, then just observation of the symptoms and an earliest testing for the infection is indicated. Still, unfortunately, there is a long window period for the test to show positive in HIV infection, as the presence of antibodies to be tested for HIV infection show their presence in the blood, only after 12 weeks or so. Therefore, you will have to wait at least for this time to reach at a diagnosis of presence/absence of HIV infection.

Take care. Hope I have answered your question. Let me know if I can assist you further.

Regards,
Dr. Satnarain Bansal, General & Family Physician
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Will I Get HIV Infection After I Touch The Blood?

Hi, Of course, theoretical there is a possibility, of your having HIV infection thru blood to blood contact, if the blood of other person has come into direct contact with the break in your skin and also, if the other person is suffering from HIV infection. However, in your case, the symptoms you are describing can not be due to presence of HIV infection, as the incubation period of HIV infection is at least one month, even taken on lower side. Therefore, symptoms may not be felt before this time. Also, the earliest symptoms of HIV infection are generally presenting as flu, cold like symptoms with fever, involvement of lymph glands and generalized body rashes etc. Mere presence of sore throat, 5 days after the contact or appearance of a single red little patch on the skin, is not an indicator of HIV infection. However, if you are still apprehensive about the infection, then just observation of the symptoms and an earliest testing for the infection is indicated. Still, unfortunately, there is a long window period for the test to show positive in HIV infection, as the presence of antibodies to be tested for HIV infection show their presence in the blood, only after 12 weeks or so. Therefore, you will have to wait at least for this time to reach at a diagnosis of presence/absence of HIV infection. Take care. Hope I have answered your question. Let me know if I can assist you further. Regards, Dr. Satnarain Bansal, General & Family Physician