Hi there :) I'm quite a paranoid person and I'm asking this question on behalf of my son. He has pimples located on his face, and has a habit of popping/picking them. He tells me that he sometimes does not wash his hands beforehand, and therefore has dirty fingers when doing so Does this pose any risk at all?

Hi there:

There is no risk of HIV transmission in a situation like this. HIV is not spread through casual contact. The virus does not live well outside of the human body. Even if your son were to come into contact with the virus, transmission would not occur from casual contact like this. Also, unless your son were to come in contact with someone else's blood, semen, vaginal secretions, or breast milk, there would be no risk as those are the only four fluids that are capable of transmitting the virus.

On a side note, picking at his pimples with dirty fingers can cause infections and can acerbate his acne. In addition, popping pimples can cause scarring on the face, which I am sure he does not want. I hope this helps.

In health,

Richard