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Can The HIV Virus Survive Outside The Body?

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Posted on Fri, 30 Dec 2016
Question: I am sorry to ask this again, but I struggled to understand the response from the last doc. Maybe I wasn't clear:

Bottom line, I officiate wrestling (high school). There were a lot of bleeders that night. The meet went late; we rushed to get home. I normally shower, but last night I didn't. I drove home (about an hour). When I got home my wife was frisky as I had been out of town on business that whole week. So I touched her, I touched myself, I get abrasions down there pretty easy and had one. Then I couldn't remember if I disinfected my hands. I don't believe I had any contact with blood, I believe we didn't miss any blood while cleaning mats if there was a bleeder. However now I am scared what if something was missed, and I had blood on my hands from the mat ( I never made contact with a bleeding wrestler so it would have to be from the ma, I also doubt a highschool wrestler would be HIV+t)

So my question is could HIV or any bloodborne illness survive the roughly hour to hour and a half between leaving the meet and coming home, I also assume the steering wheel would have rubbed a lot of it off if there was any blood.

Did I put myself or wife at risk

I don't believe I had any blood contact put I am not 100% sure; my research tells me HIV cannot transmit from surface to person, and need a closed oxygen free environment to transfer.

Please help, do I need to be tested
doctor
Answered by Dr. Mohammed Taher Ali (6 hours later)
Brief Answer:
There is no need for the testing.

Detailed Answer:
Hi.
Welcome to HCM.
I have gone through your history diligently.

As per CDC (Centre for Disease Control) HIV does not survive well outside the body, making the possibility of environmental transmission remote.

HIV needs really specific conditions to survive outside the body typically air tight and climate controlled ones.

The HIV can't survive outside blood or body fluids not more than few seconds hence there is zero percent chance of anyone receiving HIV from the surface to person.

Hope this has cleared your doubts. However, if you have any follow up query, please feel free to ask.

Best wishes.
Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Veerisetty Shyamkumar
doctor
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Follow up: Dr. Mohammed Taher Ali (4 hours later)
I understand that outside blood hiv doesn't live for more than a few seconds- my question and concern is what if there was blood on the mat and the blood got in my hand would it be dead in the blood after an hours time
doctor
Answered by Dr. Mohammed Taher Ali (2 hours later)
Brief Answer:
HIV can not survive for such a long time.

Detailed Answer:
Hi.
I can understand your concern.
As explained earlier HIV can not survive for a long period of time outside body.
So, there's nothing to worry about it.

Best wishes.
Note: Consult a Sexual Diseases Specialist online for further follow up- Click here.

Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Arnab Banerjee
doctor
Answered by
Dr.
Dr. Mohammed Taher Ali

General & Family Physician

Practicing since :1988

Answered : 6261 Questions

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Can The HIV Virus Survive Outside The Body?

Brief Answer: There is no need for the testing. Detailed Answer: Hi. Welcome to HCM. I have gone through your history diligently. As per CDC (Centre for Disease Control) HIV does not survive well outside the body, making the possibility of environmental transmission remote. HIV needs really specific conditions to survive outside the body typically air tight and climate controlled ones. The HIV can't survive outside blood or body fluids not more than few seconds hence there is zero percent chance of anyone receiving HIV from the surface to person. Hope this has cleared your doubts. However, if you have any follow up query, please feel free to ask. Best wishes.