What Is The Risk Of Sharing A Toothbrush

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Ask the Experts

Toothbrush accidentally shared

Dear Dr. Barbara,Three months ago, I accidentally used my sister-in-law's toothbrush. She doesn't belong to any risk group (as far as I know) but has very severe gingivitis. I could not see blood but the toothbrush was still wet and this...

Response from Barbara McGovern, M.D.

Tufts University School of Medicine

The chance of getting an infection from her toothbrush is very very low. Plus you do not think of her at risk..Therefore I would not get tested.... Read more »

Sharing a Toothbrush with My HIV Positive Partner

Hello,I accidentally used my HIV positive partner's toothbrush about 8 hours after he used it.... Read more »

Response from Lisa Hightow-Weidman, M.D., M.P.H. »

TOOTHBRUSH

Is there a risk of using someone toothbrush 5 minutes after they used it----blood was on it--person... Read more »

Response from Richard Cordova III »

Go to Ask the Experts »

Articles

U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

Vancouver Study: Suburban Drug Users at Risk to Share Needles: Downtown Users Tend to Use Needle Exchange

Findings published in last week in the international journal AIDS indicate that the Vancouver drug users most likely to engage in sharing needles are single, young, male, live outside the city and get their needles from sources other than... Read more »

Prevalence and Correlates of Indirect Sharing Practices Among Young Adult Injection Drug Users in Five U.S. Cities

"Sharing of drug paraphernalia to prepare, measure, and divide drugs for injection remains an important residual risk factor for hepatitis C and other blood-borne infections among injection drug users (IDUs), especially as sharing of syringes for... Read more »

Heroin and HIV Risk in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania: Youth Hangouts, Mageto and Injecting Practices

Needle sharing is an emerging risk factor for HIV transmission in Africa. This study describes the practices that heroin users are producing as they establish rules and organization surrounding drug use. Knowledge of these practices provides insight... Read more »

Distributive Syringe Sharing Among Young Adult Injection Drug Users in Five U.S. Cities

The sharing of needles and syringes is the most common way blood-borne pathogens such as HIV and hepatitis C virus (HCV) are transmitted among injection drug users (IDUs). "Distributive syringe sharing (DSS) (i.e., passing on a used needle/syringe... Read more »

Connect With Others

Sharing toothbrushes

Posted by StupidMe, 1 Reply

Hi all,
I keep reading inconsistent information regarding the risks associated with sharing toothbrushes. So I was wandering what the real risk is. Is it zero, theoretical, negligible, low...etc?
I'm asking because I had a hiv risk 3 years ago. I... Read more »

Transmission by Toothbrush

Posted by Anonymous, 1 Reply

I just found out that a neighbor of mine is HIV+. My son recently stayed at their house overnight with their kids. He didn't have a toothbrush, and said he used one of theirs.

Is there any evidence of transmission this way. Would toothpaste kill... Read more »

Sharing shaving razors?

Posted by Carrie, 8 Replies

My boyfriend (poz) and I (neg) were wondering if HIV can pass threw sharing the same shaving razors. The concern is obviously that if he nicks himself while shaving his face and gets blood on the razor, then I use the same one and nick myself while... Read more »

risk from sharing a cigarette

Posted by Anonymous, 2 Replies

this may sound stupid, but what are the risks of getting hiv by taking a drag of a cigarette from someone who is positive? i let someone take a drag off my cigarette and found out later he is positive.

Read more »

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