Hello Dr Horwath, hope you don't mind a question from a worried person in Great Britain, i hope i'm in the right forum as most blood questions & anxiety questions seemed to be answered by yourself i did a few searches on blood lips mouth etc but couldn't find a query that matched , if there is one i appologise i'm not the most clued up with computers etc & as i am also a bit anxious i thought this was the place to ask. I recently have tested HIV neg & for a few days was on cloud nine until a recent incident which has me concerned, hence this question. I was helping a delivery driver(HIV status unknown) with a big crate at work & i'm worried i might have come into contact with some of his blood as after we had finished, we washed our hands & i signed the paperwork which was when i noticed a fresh cut on his hand. My concern arises from the thought that while we were moving this crate we were knocking hands(& at this point i hadn't noticed the cut) as you do when manouvering a crate & i'm worried that some of his blood could of got onto my hands, i could of then inadvertantly wiped them against my lips while working away. The problem is i've got a cut which is in the back of my mouth behind my top, back tooth which was bleedng the same morning but i'm not sure if it had stopped bleeding when this incident occured though. If i had got some of his blood on my lips off my hand & then licked my lips could i have got infected through the fresh sore at the back of my mouth if i licked my lips then licked the sore in my mouth,possibly transfering the blood/virus(if he indeed was positive) from his hand to my hand then to my lips(by wiping then with my hand) then by licking my lips & licking the sore in my mouth & possibly transfering blood into my sore?? Is this classed as blood contact or even a route of infection, i have seen varying descriptions of direct & indirect contact & your expertise would be appreciated, you do a fine job & unfortunatley in Great Britain we don't seem to have resources like this site. All the best again & if you could point me in the right direction i will definatley forward a donation to your site, thanks again for taking the time to read my question regards, Worried In England.

HIV is not transmitted by this type of casual contact.