Terrified I have caught HIV from a sewing needle!

[JaneS]

I am sure this is my health anxiety/OCD bullying me again but I just need to get this out of my head and hope someone can help me. Yesterday I was trying to get an ingrowing hair out of my leg and used a sewing needle to free it! Gross I know but the tweezers weren't efficient enough. The sewing needle was in one of those little complimentary kits that you get in hotel bedrooms and was in a storage box under my bed (it's been in there for ages) - I opened the pack which didn't look like it had been used before as it was quite difficult to open and I had to tear the plastic apart to get into it. I also cleaned it with one of those alcohol (steret type) wipes before I used it. I did make my leg bleed from the poking around and I have been panicking all day that someone else may have used the sewing needle before me and maybe pricked themselves with it and that I have now contracted HIV or some other disease! Although there was no evidence that the sewing needle had any blood on it and the sewing kit pack looked brand new, I can't get the 'what ifs' out of my head. Please anyone?

[ServerError]

It's literally impossible to get HIV that way. It cannot happen.

[ankietyjoe]

There is more chance of being struck by lightning that was shot out of a UFO that had just won the lottery, twice.

[Shadowhawk]

There is more chance of being struck by lightning that was shot out of a UFO that had just won the lottery, twice.

But that actually has a probability to it (even it it is trillion:1 odds), where the scenario described is LITERALLY 0. Assuming there had been positively contaminated blood on the needle (which there wasn't), the virus (at most) can only survive around 8 days (again, ideal conditions). So, unless the needle was taken, used to stab a person, then put back, it wouldn't have any HIV on it in the first place.

Now, since we are talking about a clean needle, there is, literally, 0 amount of the virus on or around it, so it is not possible. Flat out, not possible.

[hazelbritt]

I am sure this is my health anxiety/OCD bullying me again but I just need to get this out of my head and hope someone can help me. Yesterday I was trying to get an ingrowing hair out of my leg and used a sewing needle to free it! Gross I know but the tweezers weren't efficient enough. The sewing needle was in one of those little complimentary kits that you get in hotel bedrooms and was in a storage box under my bed (it's been in there for ages) - I opened the pack which didn't look like it had been used before as it was quite difficult to open and I had to tear the plastic apart to get into it. I also cleaned it with one of those alcohol (steret type) wipes before I used it. I did make my leg bleed from the poking around and I have been panicking all day that someone else may have used the sewing needle before me and maybe pricked themselves with it and that I have now contracted HIV or some other disease! Although there was no evidence that the sewing needle had any blood on it and the sewing kit pack looked brand new, I can't get the 'what ifs' out of my head. Please anyone?

Just nope.

[JaneS]

Thanks everyone - I really appreciate all your responses.

---------- Post added at 20:17 ---------- Previous post was at 20:05 ----------

Made me laugh Shadowhawk - you must be clever to work out the UFO probability!

[pulisa]

Thanks everyone - I really appreciate all your responses.

---------- Post added at 20:17 ---------- Previous post was at 20:05 ----------

Made me laugh Shadowhawk - you must be clever to work out the UFO probability!

BUT..are you reassured, Jane? I somehow doubt it.

[JaneS]

Have to admit the 'probability' scenario with the UFO threw me a bit and I did have a slight panic that that meant there was a chance I could be affected - I had to read Shadowhawk's response a few times before I realised he meant it was 0 probability for my scenario! It's just the way my brain works - shame as I have been doing so well on the CBT recently and then I get a trigger... You understand me so well Pulisa.

[ankietyjoe]

But that actually has a probability to it (even it it is trillion:1 odds), where the scenario described is LITERALLY 0. Assuming there had been positively contaminated blood on the needle (which there wasn't), the virus (at most) can only survive around 8 days (again, ideal conditions). So, unless the needle was taken, used to stab a person, then put back, it wouldn't have any HIV on it in the first place.

Now, since we are talking about a clean needle, there is, literally, 0 amount of the virus on or around it, so it is not possible. Flat out, not possible.

So you're saying I might get struck by lightning!?!??! :scared15:*












*Yes - This is how HA works.

[pulisa]

The only person who can reassure you is yourself and this is your ultimate goal, Jane. I'm really pleased CBT has been going well.

[Shadowhawk]

Sorry for the confusion..heh. yes, the needle scenario is literally 0.


So you're saying I might get struck by lightning!?!??! :scared15:*






*Yes - This is how HA works.

Oh, I am all too familiar with how that goes.. I fall into that trap weekly.. sigh..

[lucymarie]

The only concerning thing I read here is that you are poking yourself with a needle and drawing blood :ohmy:

[JaneS]

No I don’t think you will be struck by lightning ankietyjoe, it was just the probability thing from Shadowhawk that threw me and I misread and misinterpret things when I’m anxious, I think maybe a lot of us do. It’s all good now. Thanks Pulisa for your support, you are right as ever. Am off to bed now with a good book!

[ankietyjoe]

No I don’t think you will be struck by lightning ankietyjoe, it was just the probability thing from Shadowhawk that threw me and I misread and misinterpret things when I’m anxious, I think maybe a lot of us do. It’s all good now. Thanks Pulisa for your support, you are right as ever. Am off to bed now with a good book!

I know I won't. I'm simply illustrating how ridiculously HA makes us think sometimes.

[MyNameIsTerry]

But that actually has a probability to it (even it it is trillion:1 odds), where the scenario described is LITERALLY 0. Assuming there had been positively contaminated blood on the needle (which there wasn't), the virus (at most) can only survive around 8 days (again, ideal conditions). So, unless the needle was taken, used to stab a person, then put back, it wouldn't have any HIV on it in the first place.

Now, since we are talking about a clean needle, there is, literally, 0 amount of the virus on or around it, so it is not possible. Flat out, not possible.

I thought the 8 days was lab cultured HIV which is far more potent and used for research? Hence why they debunked myths like the toilet seat decades ago because there just isn't time before it dies?

[Shadowhawk]

I thought the 8 days was lab cultured HIV which is far more potent and used for research? Hence why they debunked myths like the toilet seat decades ago because there just isn't time before it dies?

You may well be right - in this case, I go with a figure I have seen a few times, but I have read that the virus can barely survive outside of the body at all, and will die in minutes exposed to atmosphere.

Mind you, that also ignores the fact that you need a certain viral load in order to have infection risk, which also limits exposure risk in public settings.

But.... all this is academics that don't matter to the point at hand, which is thankfully, the risk is completely 0. I actually echo the earlier comment about drawing blood, but that is a different issue. ;)