Hi there.I'm a bouncer working in sydney Australia in Kings Cross night clubs.I recently broke up a fight and about 15 minutes later one of the men involved shook my hand to apologise.I noticed his hand was all bloodied from his fresh cuts he got from the fight earlier.I quickly rinced my hand in hot water but had no accesss to soap.I didn't have fresh cuts on my hand but I do have dry skin which sometimes may be cracked.Should I get tested?? Is the risk high in bloody handshakes or is it just theoretical? Please help me I''m stressing out.

Thanks for your question,

It sounds like there wasn't any risk from your situation. To get HIV, there needs to be a body fluid with HIV (like blood, breast milk, vaginal fluids, or semen) coming out of someone's body and going directly/immediately inside of your body.

In your situation, even though there may have been the fluid (fresh blood) there wasn't a way for it to get inside your body. Dry cracked skin IS NOT a way for HIV to get into your body. It has to be something like a substantial fresh cut, open sore, or natural openings like the tip of your penis, vagina, or butt.

Hope this helps!

Erik