Can you get HIV if you have "backslides"/cuticles or small sores near your fingers?

Question

I actually dropped something in my trash can. I ''reached in and there was a tampon that touched my fingers. Is the simple act of washing my hands enough to not catch something since I have cuticles? Very awkward question but hey it makes me feel better to ask!

Alexandre Chagnon · Accepted Answer

Hello ma'am, First of all, there are no "awkward" questions and yours is entirely relevant and valid, I assure you! 😉 If it's your own tampon that you accidentally touched in your trash, there is no risk of "getting" HIV that way . HIV can be acquired, through exposure with blood and/or certain biological fluids (e.g., semen)from another person who they have HIV . If it is another person's tampon , the risk is relatively low to very low . First, the virus quickly becomes fragile outside the human body (i.e., in the air). If it wasn't your tampon, it may be difficult for you to assess how long it had been in the trash, but that doesn't seem to be a major criterion for possible exposure to HIV (it would have been quite different if you had been pricked with a dirty needle, for example). Also, you washed your hands well immediately after , which is adequate. Finally, there are medications to prevent getting HIV infection, and these are recommended only when exposure is significant . According to the most recent guidelines, when there isexposure of non-healthy skin (e.g., recoil/cuticles) with a few drops of blood (e.g., the tampon), the medications are not indicated since the exposure is considered very low . So, in summary, rest assured: your risk is very low, if not extremely low . I hope this information reassures you and helps you see things more clearly. Please feel free to contact us if you have any other questions! ☺️ Marc-Antoine Dufresne, pharmacy intern (Pharm.D), supervised by Alexandre Chagnon, pharmacist.