What are the chances of contracting HIV/AIDS from an accidental needlestick?
817756
Highly unlikely......it takes a certain amount of the virus to actually infect you.
1050887
The short answer is no... and that even applies for those people suggesting a mosquito might give you HIV.\n\nThe quantity of the virus needed to successfully infect a human (and no, just one copy won't do it, sorry) is much more than a mosquito could transfer to you by biting you.\n\nIf you want a plain, no-nonsense explanation of just why mosquitos can't transmit HIV, go here:\n\nhttp://www.rci.rutgers.edu/~insects/aids.htm\n\nOr straight to the CDC's article on the subject here:\n\nhttp://www.cdc.gov/HIV/pubs/faq/faq32.htm\n\nOr if you prefer, you can also check with Yale's medical research department and see what they have to say here:\n\nhttp://yaleph.com/archive/vol1no3/fact.html\n\nAnd NO, the government IS NOT "covering up" the fact mosquitos can transmit HIV.  It genuinely cannot be done.\n\nThose who are suggesting it can be transmitted through these means, if you'll notice, are quick to tell you to panic, but none seem to have produced any proof to back up their claims.  I would politely suggest until they have documented, clinical proof to demonstrate their claims, they refrain from making them (and these articles explain exactly why a mosquito's proboscis is NOT a "needle" which can transmit HIV, thanks).\n\nBesides, do you really think it's logical that the government would cover up a method of HIV transmission?  The United States government?  The "all gay people have AIDS, don't let infected people within twenty feet of your children, don't let them share the same spoon, we still won't let perfectly healthy gay people donate blood or organs because we're afraid they're all carrying HIV even though we test all the blood and organs we harvest well in advance so we know before it enters the population whether or not it's infected, but we're still scared to death of them" United States government?  \n\nWhen has the United States government, or mass media, for that matter, ever been known to try to AVOID causing a panic about HIV and AIDS?  Usually they do just the opposite.\n\nWhat's more, you do have to bear in mind that if the government was trying to "not cause a panic" about the dangers of disease transmission through mosquitoes, they wouldn't warn people of all the other horrible and potentially fatal diseases which can be contracted through a mosquito bite (west nile virus, viral encephalitis, dengue fever, malaria, etc).  Government authorities and medical professionals are all very open about the fact such diseases CAN be transmitted, though.  They're also just as open about what safety precautions can be taken to prevent the spread of the disease, if possible.  Why be so open about everything else, but so secretive about this?\n\nMost "conspiracy theories" make no true sense, but this one about mosquitoes being able to transmit HIV... well, to quote another poster here "only the naive believe this".
31228
Yes, HIV could be passed on through the ink to you.\nAnd no, I do not believe a lighter flame will disinfect a needle. Through the research I've done on HIV, one site said over 185 degrees for atleast one minute, another said the medical sterilizers reach 273 degrees and above. Theses are tempertures dentist and doctors use. A HIV site said never attempt to reuse a needle at all, due to the chance of contracting HIV and other dieases. So if a tattoo is something you're sure  you want, have new needles and new ink. There's no tattoo worth your life, right? So pay alittle more and be safe. Good Luck.
1137576
Nope, if you're both HIV / AIDS negative there is a 0 chance you'll get infected... unless you involve a monkey somehow... or an infected person...
424264
if you do not have any open cuts or sores you cannot contract HIV from him just by getting blood on your finger. i know it's scary but you'll be ok, get tested though just for piece of mind. hope that helps :)
69692
False. While safe sex will help stop the spread, it is thought that 50% of people living with AIDS contracted the diease through shared needle use.  The only answer to AIDS is a cure.  We are moving closer each day to that goal.  I hope to be there the day it happens.  It will be the single greatest event of our lifetime!
1084712
It's usually transmitted that way right after someone has used it, not like days later. Usually someone uses it and within minutes someone else uses that same needle and syringe and gets HIV that way. \n\nI work in a hospital pharmacy and ever now and then we will get nurses who come down to get medicine because they got a needle stick by a possible HIV+ patient. Usually the nurse is drawing blood and when she/he goes to put the cap on the needle they accidentally stick themselves. Since they just drew the blood it's possible they might have contracted HIV from that tiny stick.
1125944
it is a possibility he can get infected.  We have minute open cracks sometimes on our skin without even realizing it.  If those cracks come in contact with blood or body fluid that is infected with the HIV virus, then there is definitely a possibility of contracting HIV.  If the person that gave the man the oral sex has an open sore or wound that may not be visible, and if the person receiving also has a small open sore or wound that is not visible, then yes it is highly likely that the person can contract HIV.  It is always best to use protection, common sense and to be careful.
77336
If there was very fresh, HIV infected blood on the knife, I would say the chances are high. But more than likely, if he wasn't bleeding and there was no blood on the knife from him, you'll be alright. Definitely, get tested after 3 months and then once again after 3 more months.
272041
Your husband should be fine.  HIV is a fragile virus and can't live outside of the body.  It dies almost instantly.  So any of the virus on the bloody clothes would be dead.  If your husband had an open wound and pressed it up against your sons open would, there maybe risk.  But he was perfectly safe handling the bloody clothes.  Still, its never a safe idea to touch blood without gloves on, regarless of if it is infected with HIV.\n\nAs far as kissing goes, you can't get HIV through kissing.  The only way there would even be a SMALL risk is if it was deep kissing and there was a lesion or cut in his gum so it was blood mixed with saliva.  Even then the risk is very small.  \n\nDon't worry, unless your husband is having unprotected sex with your son, or sharing needles with him, none of you are at rist.  \n\nI've included a link to some good information about HIV and its transmition.  Taken from that link is this information.  Visit the link to find out more.\n\nCan HIV spread through kissing? \nAnswer: Kissing such as on the cheek or lightly on the lips carries no risk of transmitting HIV. In deep kissing there is a small risk because the saliva of an infected person contains few virus particles which by itself is not sufficient to cause the infection. But there could be bleeding gums or ulcers in the mouth and exchange of infected saliva mixed with blood during kissing could transmit the HIV \n\n\nHow is HIV not transmitted?  \nAnswer: HIV cannot spread by casual contact such as touching, holding hands, body contact in crowded public places, shaking hands, working or playing together, sharing food, vessels and clothes, eating food cooked by an infected person, light kissing, mosquito and other insect bites, swimming pools, and toilets.  \n\nQuestion: How long can the virus live outside the human body? \nAnswer: The Human Immunodeficiency Virus is fragile. Once the virus is outside the body in a dry form, it dies immediately. Even in a wet state, it does not live long when exposed to heat, detergents, or disinfectants. When stored in blood banks at 4°C, it can live for about 3 weeks (or longer), or till the white cell disintegrates, but in a frozen state it can survive for years.
4204
The following numbers are old, and they're all pretty much guesswork anyway, so take them with a grain of salt.  But I venture to say most people in the field would agree with my conclusions.\n\nAccording to a report by researchers Norman Hearst and Stephen Hulley in the Journal of the American Medical Association, the odds of a heterosexual becoming infected with AIDS after one episode of penile-vaginal intercourse with someone in a non-high-risk group without a condom are one in 5 million. With a condom it's even safer--one in 50 million. Just to put this in perspective, the chances of someone in your family getting injured next year in a bubble bath are 1 in 1.3 million (source: The Odds on Virtually Everything, Heron House, 1980). You're in much greater danger of being struck by lightning (1 in 600,000), having your house bombed (1 in 290,000), or being murdered (1 in 11,000).\n\nThe numbers get a lot worse if you engage in "high-risk behavior"--having sexual intercourse or sharing needles with a member of a high-risk group, e.g., a gay or bisexual male or IV drug user from a major metro area, or a hemophiliac. The chances of getting AIDS from one such encounter range as high as 1 in 10,000 using a condom to 1 in 1,000 unprotected. Even if your partner tests negative for human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), the chances of infection from a high-risk person are still relatively high--1 in 50,000 without a condom. That's because there's a 45 to 90 day window during which a newly infected person can infect others but test negative. (A few people go as long as 180 days.)\n\nFrom there on out, statistically speaking, things deteriorate pretty fast. If your partner is HIV-positive, your chances of getting AIDS after one night are 1 in 5,000 with a condom, 1 in 500 without. Have sex with an HIV-positive partner 500 times using condoms and your chances escalate to 1 in 11. Skip the gift wrap and they're 2 in 3.\n\nA couple points: These odds apply equally to men and women. Although there's reason to believe male-to-female AIDS transmission happens more often than female-to-male, the amount of difference is unknown. Also, I have to emphasize again, the numbers involve a lot of guesswork. The authors admit they could be off by a factor of ten in either direction. Still, one message comes through loud and clear: by far the best thing you can do to avoid AIDS is to be picky about your partners. Use of condoms reduces your risk by a factor of 10, sleeping only with people who test negative reduces it by a factor of 5 to 50, but avoiding high-risk partners reduces it by a factor of 5,000. (You'd also be well advised to avoid high-risk behavior, such as unprotected receptive anal sex.) Asking for a resume may not be romantic, but it beats Kaposi's sarcoma.
367137
Can I get HIV from oral sex? \nYes, it is possible for either partner to become infected with HIV through performing or receiving oral sex. There have been a few cases of HIV transmission from performing oral sex on a person infected with HIV. While no one knows exactly what the degree of risk is, evidence suggests that the risk is less than that of unprotected anal or vaginal sex. \n\nIf the person performing oral sex has HIV, blood from their mouth may enter the body of the person receiving oral sex through \n\nthe lining of the urethra (the opening at the tip of the penis); \nthe lining of the vagina or cervix; \nthe lining of the anus; or \ndirectly into the body through small cuts or open sores. \nIf the person receiving oral sex has HIV, their blood, semen (cum), pre-seminal fluid (pre-cum), or vaginal fluid may contain the virus. Cells lining the mouth of the person performing oral sex may allow HIV to enter their body. \n\nThe risk of HIV transmission increases \n\nif the person performing oral sex has cuts or sores around or in their mouth or throat; \nif the person receiving oral sex ejaculates in the mouth of the person performing oral sex; or \nif the person receiving oral sex has another sexually transmitted disease (STD). \nNot having (abstaining from) sex is the most effective way to avoid HIV. \n\nIf you choose to perform oral sex, and your partner is male, \n\nuse a latex condom on the penis; or \nif you or your partner is allergic to latex, plastic (polyurethane) condoms can be used. \nStudies have shown that latex condoms are very effective, though not perfect, in preventing HIV transmission when used correctly and consistently. If either partner is allergic to latex, plastic (polyurethane) condoms for either the male or female can be used. For more information about latex condoms, see "Male Latex Condoms and Sexually Transmitted Diseases." \n\nIf you choose to have oral sex, and your partner is female, \n\nuse a latex barrier (such as a natural rubber latex sheet, a dental dam or a cut-open condom that makes a square) between your mouth and the vagina. A latex barrier such as a dental dam reduces the risk of blood or vaginal fluids entering your mouth. Plastic food wrap also can be used as a barrier. \nIf you choose to perform oral sex with either a male or female partner and this sex includes oral contact with your partners anus (analingus or rimming), \n\nuse a latex barrier (such as a natural rubber latex sheet, a dental dam or a cut-open condom that makes a square) between your mouth and the anus. Plastic food wrap also can be used as a barrier. \nIf you choose to share sex toys with your partner, such as dildos or vibrators, \n\neach partner should use a new condom on the sex toy; and \nbe sure to clean sex toys between each use. \nIf you would like more information or have personal concerns, call CDC-INFO 24 Hours/Day at 1-800-CDC-INFO (232-4636), 1-888-232-6348 (TTY), in English, en Espaٌol. \n\nBut on the other hand reports say it is very minimal:\nhttp://www.newscientist.com/article.ns?id=dn1156
22260
It is pretty unlikely but possible (at least in theory). All other things being equal, my guess is that she would be at greater risk than you.  \n\nIs there some reason to think she is HIV positive?  If so, then I might get tested.  Otherwise...\n\nHIV is less prevalent in women than in men (in the USA).  Unless she is at higher risk (had intimate contact with HIV positive partners, blood transfusions pre-blood screening, iv drug user, etc.), the odds of her having HIV to begin with are small.\n\nThe virus lives a very short time outside of the body and requires a way inside the body -- mucus membrane, cut, etc.  So the HIV virus could -- in theory -- enter through a cut in your hand.\n\nStill, a conversation with your doctor wouldn't be a bad idea!
1167388
No one has ever conclusively shown that any HIV infection was spread by mosquito bite.\n\nIt is believed that the virus is unable to survive in the mosquito as the insect is cold-blooded, and the environmental temperature within the insect would fluctuate too much for HIV to survive (which is one reason that HIV is a blood borne disease, instead of being able to be spread by sneezing/coughing and the like).\n\nAlso, the mosquito injects anti-coagulant saliva into a wound through a hollow stylet known as the hypopharynx, but blood is drawn into the mosquito via the labrum/epipharynx - a totally separate hollow tube.  They do not inject blood back into their victim, making transfer by this method highly unlikely.\n\nThe only way that a mosquito could transfer infected blood from one victim to another would be if some blood were left on the maxillae or mandibles that they use to pierce their victim's skin, and they moved to another victim and transfered that blood before the virus expired.  The amount of blood transferred in this fashion would be minute (perhaps a few cells at the most), and it would need to be done soon after the first feeding or the virus would die.\n\nWhen you consider the number of mosquito bites per person in somewhere like sub-Saharan Africa, and the infection rates of people positive for HIV in that region, even something as unlikely as a mosquito transferred case of HIV cannot be completely and totally ruled out.  It might have happened once or twice.  There's no way to know for sure.\n\nIt is exceedingly unlikely though.
742224
Nope,\nYou can only get HIV through blood, including blood transfusion, and sex (anal, oral, and vaginal).  If you are a heroine user and you shoot up the drug through a needle, and you have HIV virus, and someone else uses that same needle they can also contract the virus as well.  Those are the only ways.
799488
You contact HIV usually through unprotected sex, sharing needles, or blood transfusions, basically body fluids and open wounds.  Anyone is at risk for it because people who have it might not know at first and be spreading it to others, the stereotypes are usually hookers, gay people, drug users, street people but that's not really true because anyone can get it or be born with it, we just all like to think it won't happen to us.  Risky behaviors are unprotected sex, sharing needles, and open wounds that bleed and anyone else with an open wound touching something can pick up germs.  It depends on the person as to how long they live.  Some believe saliva can spread germs, others don't. I would just be all around careful if I was around someone I knew that could possibly be infected.
584493
No u cannot get it.HIV is transmitted ,\n1.f a person engages in sexual intercourse with an infected person without using a condom, s/he can get infected. The sexual act can be both vaginal and anal.Theoretically oral sex without condom (on men) or barriers like dental dam, vaginal dams or plastic wrap (on women) can also transmit the infection.\n2.If a person shares the needle or syringe used by/on an infected person, either for injecting drugs or drawing blood or for any other purpose involving piercing, s/he can get infected. Instruments used for piercing and tattooing also carry a small risk of infection.\n3.A person can get the infection, if he/she is given transfusion of infected blood.\n4.If surgical devices like syringes and scalpels, or even certain instruments, used on an infected person, are used on another person without proper sterilization, they can transmit the infection.\n5.An HIV positive mother can transmit the virus to child during pregnancy or birth. Breast milk can also act as a transmission-medium.\neven if it has blood on it,HIV cannot survive when exposed to open air.\nNever mess with HIV,stay safe.Also,please devolp some knowledge on HIV/AIDS,u sound ignorant,like some guy who just came from the remotest jungles of Africa.