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Toilet Seat Question
Feb 27, 2006

I was in a public bathroom and noticed I had blood on my index finger when I washed my hands after doing my business. If I inadvertently touched blood in the bathroom and then proceeded to wipe myself, could I have been exposed to hiv if the blood was hiv positive? I usually bundle up some of the toilet tissue before I wipe myself but again don't know if I got blood on the toilet tissue.

Response from Ms. Breuer

HIV exposed to oxygen begins to deteriorate/inactive immediately. This risk is so remote that you may begin to stop worrying about it. Transmission requires immediate, intimate contact between the infectious fluid and a mucous membrane or break in the skin. Spilled blood requires great caution, but the scenario you describe would write medical history if it generated an infection.



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