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So I am probably worrying over nothing. I work in a lab and felt very stupid as was not wearing gloves at the time. I was uncapping blood samples and whilst doing so a couple of drops of serum (blood) flicked onto my thumb. I washed it thoroughly with soap and water and thought nothing of it. However later I realised that the skin around the nail is slightly sore and cracked. There are no visible gaping cuts, but in a couple of places it does look like the skin has broken and has grown over. The patient in question was not positive for anything to our knowledge. The serum did not get on to this area from what I saw, but am concerned that maybe it did and I didn't notice, as it was a tiny amount. I am just a bit worried that this may have put me at some kind of (very low) risk?

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before i answer this, i am curious.... what does your training/education from working in a lab teach you about this situation?

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to wear gloves. like I said i felt stupid about not doing so, unfortunately i was doing something else (peeling labels off the samples) at the same time which is difficult whilst wearing them.
Also, there is a procedure to follow for needle stick injuries/blood splashes which i am aware of. I would have asked my manager in this instance but i did not notice my nails until after I had left work.

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so you are taught to believe that transmission may occur through a "blood splash" ON YOUR SKIN????

if so, we need to mandate change. skin is one of the best barriers for HIV prevention actually. You are NOT at risk for HIV transmission. now before you go on to express skin condition at the time etc.... a cut/crack,etc is pressurized. meaning when those things occur pressure inside the body from the bodily functions that distribute any fluids is that of any other "pump" so when ya get a "leak" it forces outward, so....even if you did come in contact with HIV infected blood, the risk is nil.... For infection to take place a host of variables MUST retain/maintain those variables (such as moisture levels, temperature, etc) or it breaks the virus itself. in laymans terms, if this scenario of a blood splash, or even open cuts/sores/breaks etc was a viable mode of transmission the ENTIRE world would already be dead from HIV, it would be literally unpreventable. so.... to answer your question, NO you are NOT at risk, NO...you CANT get HIV from the scenario you described. What you SHOULD do, is advocate to educate your medical field workers to FACTUAL, scientifically PROVEN material on HIV transmission and prevention.

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The policy is not about blood splashes on intact skin, more like splashes into the eye/mouth/on cut skin etc. From what I've read pretty much everywhere (apart from here) is that HIV transmission is possible through broken skin, but no one can really agree on risk or whether or not it's actually happened to somebody. I agree that more people need to be educated, but it is not restricted to my workplace. Thank you for your answer

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believe what you choose, its your mind & body that will bare that load. It fascinates me, that more ignorance about HIV infection/transmission is displayed by medical professionals, than by the common person, lol. It's highly contradictory to choose to hold onto that kind of ignorance, and still choose the profession that y'all THINK is fearful & dangerous. When in fact, a person with a depleted immune system is MORE at risk catching infections (often fatal, or life threatening) visiting a medical facility than ANY of the staff is by them... if your assumptions about your situation were true, the whole world would be dead by now from aids.

Good Luck, hope you find some peace in this situation

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