Dr. Bob,

Excuse me for asking this question it may be a stupid one ,,,but please help me because I am getting anxiety over this and just want to put this away and get some peace. Let me explain what happened to me.

I have a scratch on my first finger by my knuckle. It stings. Not bleeding. but it's sensitive to lemon juice. This is how crazy I got over this incident This is how messed up I am about this. I'm out buying lemons and not making lemonade. :)

I met a person that is HIV + and I shook his hand. Afterwards, My mind started really messing me up to the point as of now I cant even sleep. I started thinking to my self. Hey - I didn't look at his hands. What if he has a scratch such as mine, or a cut, or a nick. Or anything for that matter. What are my chances of catching the HIV from this man?

I know this is a simple question for you, but to what extreme do you measure on catching HIV like this?

Well, before I keep rambling on - I will wait for your help.

Please help me with this Dr. Bob, I am avoiding my family so I do not pass on anything to them. For the sake of my family help me understand my situation. I haven't told them anything yet,,, for fear of them thinking I am one grape short of a fruit salad.

I will donate -- Please tell me where.

Thank You in advance Dr. Bob

Angela

Hello Angela,

OK, step away from the lemons; take three big cleansing yoga breaths; and let's consider this situation a bit more rationally, OK? Go ahead, take the breaths. We'll wait.

HIV from a handshake with non-bleeding scratch???? Frevinsakes! If HIV were transmitted that easily, it would have wiped out the planet long ago. Avoiding your family over this incident is totally looney tunes. Yep, one grape short.

Your HIV-acquisition risk is completely nonexistent.

Thanks for your donation to The Robert James Frascino AIDS Foundation (www.concertedeffort.org). It's warmly appreciated.

Stop worrying. You're fine, OK?

Dr. Bob