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work35
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Newbie
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Reged: 11/02/08
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Posts: 1
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working with hiv positive person
#243000 - 11/02/08 04:03 PM
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Hello.. I hope this is not an ignorant question but here goes.. two part question.. Part one.. I just found out my co-worker is hiv positive.. he is healthy thank god.. and i really like him but I admit I am VERY uncomfortable at work.. we both chew our fingers.. i'm trying to stop that.. and when I leave work for the day we often shake hands.. i am worried about blood getting into one of the small cuts on the side of my fingers.. I noticed he sometimes has similar little cuts on his hands.. Part two.. We often use small tools like little scred drivers staplers and scissors.. a few weeks ago I cut myself with the screw driver he ahd been using 20 min earlier.. Am I at any risk.. what precautions should I take to ensure my safety.. i feel really bad but part of me feels like although i am sorry for his sickness i should not have to feel uncomfortable at work.. i am very paraniod person and it's not fair to me.. please help ,anyone who has any info/advice... I don't want to quit because I think he will knwo the reason and it would hurt his feelings.. thanks alot
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Nothing you mentioned in this post should be a cause for concern about infection. HIV is transmitted via unprotected sex and needles. People don't become infected from shaking hands....chewed fingers or not. Nor do they become infected from handling tools someone else has used even if they did have a cut. HIV is an extremely fragile virus and it just can't survive outside it's environment. It dies within minutes of leaving the body. Even with an exposure that is deemed a risk, infection is not an automatic assumption. It's not unusual to hear of people testing poistive, yet when their partners test, sometimes after years of unprotected sex, they have remained negative. If that can happen, then you can see why there aren't any cases of tranmission from causual contact, like you described in your post.
Now about feeling uncomfortable and how he shouldn't be making you feel so...as in..."i am sorry for his sickness i should not have to feel uncomfortable at work.. i am very paraniod person and it's not fair to me.."
Let's put this another way...."I'm sorry that my illness scares him unnecessarily, but I should not be made to feel uncomfortable at work. I'm sorry he is a paranoid person, but that is not my problem.
I understand that people do fear the unknown....most times needlessly, but how about your co-worker. I'm sure he has picked up on your non-verbal cues that you are scared of him. None of us with HIV want people to be scared of us and there is no reason to be so. All it does when people react that way is to make us feel uncomfortable.
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anotherJane
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Reged: 05/14/11
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Posts: 11
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Loc: midwest
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The simple solution is to stop chewing your fingers. You are putting others at risk for any infection you may carry.
HIV only lives outside the body for about 90 seconds. I don't know about the hepatitis viruses.
Keep your hands away from your face and you will be a much more pleasant person for others to have to look at.
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crabman
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Moderator
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Reged: 03/10/11
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Posts: 611
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Huh? What has chewed finger nails got to do with transmitting HIV in a work situation. NONE. What does chewed fingernails have to do with putting someone at risk for some infection in the workplace.
SO, not only does your post make no sense to the original topic, it's NECROPOSTING.
Have nothing better to do?
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