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Can HIV Be Contracted Through Skin Contact With Infected Body Fluid?

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Posted on Tue, 22 Dec 2015
Question: Hi I am worried that i cant get aids. I am worried that if I touch someone with aids and that blood or a bodily fluid gets on me and i touch an air tight item (example: zipper) that the aids virus can live in air tight places (example: inside a zipper). I have heard that aids can live in syringes where there is no air, so can't aids live in my zipper, or under a bolt on my jeans?
doctor
Answered by Dr. Shafi Ullah Khan (12 minutes later)
Brief Answer:

Detailed Answer:
Thank you for asking

I read your question and i understand your concern and worries for hiv/253657?iL=true" >AIDS but i want to reassure you that just a zipper and bolt of jeans are not enough to transmit AIDs. Syringes for sure can transmit but that too in drug paraphernalia, recurrent uses and not every syringe is HIV infected. Unprotected coituses specially receptive anal coitus can lead to AIDs. Multiple partners, recurrence STDs are the risk factor for sure. Mucosal contact , exchange of fluids and exchange of blood is very necessary to transmit AIDs.

Had there been AIDs by just touching an air tight item or a zipper, then i would say whole world would have been HIV infected.

If you believe you have been exposed to HIV transmission and not just in contact of skin, mucosal contact is necessary , and the partner was HI positive, then get post exposure prophylaxis and also get screened. Thats it. Worrying will bring no good.

I hope it helps. Take good care of yourself and don't forget to close the discussion please.

Regards
Khan
Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar
doctor
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Follow up: Dr. Shafi Ullah Khan (26 minutes later)
Thank you sooooo much :)

But how does the aids virus live in a needle/syringe and not in a zipper or air tight container for example?

how long can the aids virus live in a syringe/needle or air tight space? would you know?
doctor
Answered by Dr. Shafi Ullah Khan (4 minutes later)
Brief Answer:
Short half life

Detailed Answer:
Thank you for getting back to me

half life of HIV virus is a day or two at most and its infectivity is in order of minutes. So you don't need to worry about the contamination in that larger timeframe.

I hope it helps.
Regards
Khan
Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar
doctor
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Follow up: Dr. Shafi Ullah Khan (4 minutes later)
So how long would it live in a air tight container (example a syringe)? Only a half life?
doctor
Answered by Dr. Shafi Ullah Khan (2 minutes later)
Brief Answer:
a day or two

Detailed Answer:
A single day at most or two. No more than that a virus is dead then.

I hope it helps.
Regards
Khan
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Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar
doctor
Answered by
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Dr. Shafi Ullah Khan

General & Family Physician

Practicing since :2012

Answered : 3613 Questions

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Can HIV Be Contracted Through Skin Contact With Infected Body Fluid?

Brief Answer: Detailed Answer: Thank you for asking I read your question and i understand your concern and worries for AIDS but i want to reassure you that just a zipper and bolt of jeans are not enough to transmit AIDs. Syringes for sure can transmit but that too in drug paraphernalia, recurrent uses and not every syringe is HIV infected. Unprotected coituses specially receptive anal coitus can lead to AIDs. Multiple partners, recurrence STDs are the risk factor for sure. Mucosal contact , exchange of fluids and exchange of blood is very necessary to transmit AIDs. Had there been AIDs by just touching an air tight item or a zipper, then i would say whole world would have been HIV infected. If you believe you have been exposed to HIV transmission and not just in contact of skin, mucosal contact is necessary , and the partner was HI positive, then get post exposure prophylaxis and also get screened. Thats it. Worrying will bring no good. I hope it helps. Take good care of yourself and don't forget to close the discussion please. Regards Khan