HIV anxiety/fear & Lloyds pharmacy test

[worriedmummy1]

Evening all!
I posted on here a few days ago and some of you kindly responded with reassurances, but new anxieties have arisen. Last week I came on my period and dropped the tampon on the floor (at work, in a hospital). The cardboard applicator is what touched the floor. I picked it up, gave it a brush off and used it, but within 30 secs or a touch longer I changed my mind and took it out. My worry was 'if' it hd fallen in bodily fluid with hiv it could have transmitted into me. The reassurance was this is not possible.

Then I remembered a few hours later I had gone back to the toilet and to try and reassure myself I didnt need to worry I had a quick look in the bin to gauge how many people could have used that toilet. Now I am worried that I might have touched someone elses used sanitary product and might have had a cut in my hand and could have hiv from that. I dont think I did but my mind is saying I 100% did. To be honest I dont knoe if I did or didnt. Its eating me up. I'm snappy at my kids, frightened to death to share a drink or similar with them.

I hsve seen lloyds phsrmacy offer testing after 28 days exposure. But I dont know how reliable it will be, and will they mix samples up. Please help me get rid of this mental torture! !
I havent spoken to my husband if my fear as we have been here before and it is taking its tole on our relationship. Thanks for reading. Xx

[TooMuchToLiveFor]

Oh, sweet, Mummy. You do not have HIV from either of the situations you have listed. If you would have touched anything in the bin I can pretty much guarantee you would have noted it immediately- as you were only looking in the bin out of an obsessive nature anyway. You certainly would have noticed then and been worried about it already if you would have touched something...., and then you have to add in that what you touched would have had to be infected with HIV, AND that you would have had to had an open wound on your hand for it to even be what I am still guessing is not an actual chance of getting infected.

What you should be concerned about is the illness of anxiety that is affecting your life, your husband's life, and your kids' lives. What are you doing to treat your actual illness, my friend? :hugs:

[worriedmummy1]

Thank you, I'm currently taking 30mg mirtazapine at night. I have been referred to occupational health by my manager and am hoping they offer counselling. X

[jillyb]

Dear worried mummy1 please don't worry. There is no way you could have contracted HIV this way! When it first started, in the 80s, nobody knew much about how it could be passed on and there were lots of scare stories. Nowadays even surgeons that are HIV positive can practise! I suffer from awful health anxiety so I do understand how you are feeling but, to quote my therapist, you are just telling yourself scary stories and frightening yourself. Xxx

[scared_ter]

Not a hope, so dont worry.
The hiv virus does not survive for any length of time outside the body.
It is ineffective in any environment where air is present.
Simple as that
You are 110% fine

[Nighttime pacer]

You're definitely fine.
I've had massive worries around hiv myself and am no so informed I could probably write a book.
It can't survive in the air for more than a few seconds.
You need fresh blood or sexual fluid to get directly into your bloodstream for it to be transmitted.
Please try not to worry, though I guess you' probably do what I did and get tested anyway. Don't beat youself up about getting tested if it'll put your mind at rest. It's your life and your rules.
I'm sure the test result will be negative though as you can't have caught it from what happened.
Why do we all do this to ourselves?
Take care
Nighttime Pacer