Can you catch HIV from?

[CleverLittleViper]

I know I'm being stupid.

A few weeks ago, I went to use a public toilet and noticed there was a smudge of something on the seat. I wiped it vigorously off (I'm pretty OCD like that) and it looked dried in, so there was still a tiny smudge left, but I was desperate and there were no other cubicles available so I went to the toilet.

Now, I'm scared I may have transmitted HIV from it. I know I had a test on Monday that proves I'm HIV negative, and everything I've read has said transmission like this is impossible....but my anxiety has kicked up, and won't let me stop thinking about it.

[nomorepanic]

No you can't

[chickpea]

Definitely not.
Reading about HIV, it seems it's actually quite difficult contract, even by intercourse.
If public toilets were a risk, there would be massively fierce protective procedures in place!

[Jabberwoxx]

One of my friends has OCD and suffers from this fear. But no, you can't catch it from a public toilet seat :)

It's mainly fresh bodily fluids to my knowledge, like intercourse, oral sex and sharing needles ... and even THEN I don't think there's an absolute 100% chance of getting it.

If you think about it we touch door handles, then touch our mouths, etc. so we'd be catching things constantly. But we don't (thankfully!) so there's nothing to worry about. :)

[eeesh]

One of my friends has OCD and suffers from this fear. But no, you can't catch it from a public toilet seat :)

It's mainly fresh bodily fluids to my knowledge, like intercourse, oral sex and sharing needles ... and even THEN I don't think there's an absolute 100% chance of getting it.

If you think about it we touch door handles, then touch our mouths, etc. so we'd be catching things constantly. But we don't (thankfully!) so there's nothing to worry about. :)

Even that is incredibly unlikely.

At least I hope so...

[IrishLondon]

There is zero risk from catching HIV from a toilet seat. And the risk of catching it through oral sex is very low indeed.

[alisando123]

I have OCD and one of my main fears is catching HIV.

In your situation I would also be afraid, but I can 100% tell you that you can't get it this way. I'm handling public toilets quite well recently. You've got to think what has to happen for you to pick up HIV... it would have to be a body fluid that can contain HIV, the person would have had to have been infected, the fluid would have had to have been there for less than a few minutes (if it's dried, pretty much no chance of HIV being still "alive" in that blood), then it has to get in your body/bloodstream somehow and then has to actually infect you. All in all your chance is literally 0% :)

These worries are horrible so it's easier said than done to not be anxious, but hopefully that will make you feel a little better :)

[lily1]

HIV is a very delicate virus, and quickly dies outside of the body. I hope you can't as I clean toliets for my second job!

If it was very easy to catch like that, you would know plenty of people around you with it.

[JustBenn]

Na, you don't have it for sure, but next time, try keeping the willy from touching the seat. :D

[CleverLittleViper]

I'm a chick so that won't be difficult.