HIV Anxiety, was going well until..

[Tastee]

Hello NMP. I haven't been on these forums in awhile since I have been very well!! I have not had any sex or done any risky behaviors that would lead to my irrational thoughts that would hinder my day to day activities.

Well- I moved into a new place the other day. I am loving it and all, but I always feel like the worst is bound to happen to me. I spent all summer not worrying about a thing like HIV, herpes, pregnancy. My mind took a long vacation and I was doing well!

Today though was a rough day. The lady in the cafeteria at my new place is a very friendly woman who I enjoy talking to. She always prepares me food and does a wondrous job and I respect the fact that she is happy to do what she does. But today as she made my sandwich I noticed a new cut on her arm. It looked pretty "fresh" with some old blood scabbing on it (not to sure, seemed that way tho) As much as I wanted to say "Excuse me I am sorry but i don't want the sandwich anymore" I stopped myself and said in my head

"You can do this- you're not going to get HIV from her cut spilling blood on your food". She wrapped up my food, gave it to me, and I proceeded to walk to my table to eat it.

I ate the sandwich, and tried not to think about it. But as I sit here and I can't help my thoughts. My mind has been racing. I even went to buy a pack of cigs' to help calm my nerves, and I don't really like to smoke.

Needless to to say- im freaking out. I come here to get some ease in my mind. You all here have been very kind to me even though my concerns aren't the worst in the world since there are many people who live with much worse.

I want to hear what you all have to think- I understand hiv is transmitted through needles/sex- etc.. but there is always that slim chance of common contact contraction.

So please, do you think its possible if this ladies blood got onto my sandwich- would give me the disease?

thanks all. I cannot wait to hear what you all have to say. much love

[emlica]

OK.

First of all, what are the chances of this lady having HIV? As a percentage of the population, statistically speaking? Pretty damn low, right?

Second, the cut was on her *arm* - is she likely to have rubbed your sandwich with her arm? If the cut was bad enough to be dripping blood, she'd have had to cover it up. She works in food preparation - she or her boss would have known it needed covering up if it was a bad cut - not because of the HIV risk particularly, but just because people don't want blood on their food! You said there was old blood scabbing on it, so it wasn't 'dripping' at the time she made your sandwich. So how on earth would any blood have got onto the sandwich?

Thirdly, outside of needles and sex, you'd really need to be rubbing someone's open wound into an open wound of your own or into an 'orifice' (!) to have any chance of catching it that way. The virus is pretty feeble in that respect, in normal conditions it doesn't really survive outside the body for long. So even if - and bear in mind these are HUGE 'if's - this woman does have HIV, and she somehow managed to drip blood into the food she was preparing, the chances of her having given you HIV are miniscule.

Think about it, if HIV was so readily transmissible (which it isn't), lots more people would be infected!

[Fishmanpa]

With all due respect to your HA, you're afraid you contracted HIV by eating a sandwich made by a woman with a cut on her arm? You do recognize the absurdity of that do you not? HA or not, that's pretty far fetched to say the least.

"T"

[spacebunnyx]

Agree with all of the above. I spent a year helping people with hiv in a third world country. We had no protective gloves and I regularly had to wash patients, hold their hand and clean up body fluids. I did not catch hiv, even doing these tasks the idea is absurd.. our skin inside and outside our bodies is like an iron wall and even sharing saliva will not transmit hiv. If you have any questions please ask. Xxx