About 4 months ago I used a public toilet. It was filthy and dark with all kinds of filth on the stalls. There was a syringe on top of the toilet paper dispenser.
I was careful not to mess with it. But when I started to pull a bit of toilet paper out, it shook the dispenser and the syringe started to fall. It was going to hit my exposed thigh. As I was shoving my thigh away from the syringe I instinctively moved my left hand to push the syringe away.
The needle hit the palm of my hand, I felt the sting and by the time I moved my hand, the syringe was stuck enough to fall only when I turned my hand upside down and jerked.
I had a minute amount of blood on the palm of my hand near my forefinger. There was a trace of blood inside the syringe as well.
I had a test done a few days later for STD(s) and HIV, all negative. But now I am not so sure. I've had a sore throat for 2 weeks, I feel weak, have a dry cough (when I breath deep) and once had pain behind my eyes.
Of course I have been canvassing the Internet for information, and read what symptoms to look for. I don't have any other symptoms but the above mentioned.
The stress and anxiety is overwhelming.
What do you think.
I was careful not to mess with it. But when I started to pull a bit of toilet paper out, it shook the dispenser and the syringe started to fall. It was going to hit my exposed thigh. As I was shoving my thigh away from the syringe I instinctively moved my left hand to push the syringe away.
The needle hit the palm of my hand, I felt the sting and by the time I moved my hand, the syringe was stuck enough to fall only when I turned my hand upside down and jerked.
I had a minute amount of blood on the palm of my hand near my forefinger. There was a trace of blood inside the syringe as well.
I had a test done a few days later for STD(s) and HIV, all negative. But now I am not so sure. I've had a sore throat for 2 weeks, I feel weak, have a dry cough (when I breath deep) and once had pain behind my eyes.
Of course I have been canvassing the Internet for information, and read what symptoms to look for. I don't have any other symptoms but the above mentioned.
The stress and anxiety is overwhelming.
What do you think.
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Sorry to hear about your unfortunate situation. Just so you know to get tested again in the future the HIV antigen test would not yield a reliable result days after the possible infection--many suggest waiting 3 months to get a test, when the body has had sufficient time to build up antibodies.
As far as the actual risk: you suggested that there was blood in the syringe, and that this blood possibly made contact with your own blood stream. There are many factors determining the risk of contracting HIV from such a situation: the one that would concern you most is viral load; i.e. the higher the amount of infected bodily fluid in contact with your blood stream, the higher the risk.
It is understandable why you experiencing such stress, but do not worry. The chances that you are infected are still very low--don't forget, the chances that there was HIV in that syringe is also low. Get tested again in a few months to be sure.
Best wishes
As far as the actual risk: you suggested that there was blood in the syringe, and that this blood possibly made contact with your own blood stream. There are many factors determining the risk of contracting HIV from such a situation: the one that would concern you most is viral load; i.e. the higher the amount of infected bodily fluid in contact with your blood stream, the higher the risk.
It is understandable why you experiencing such stress, but do not worry. The chances that you are infected are still very low--don't forget, the chances that there was HIV in that syringe is also low. Get tested again in a few months to be sure.
Best wishes
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you can contract HIV from needles - but it depends on who used it before!
i suggest you get re-tested just in case
it is unlikely you have HIV (symptoms usually take years to show) and the HIV virus doesn't live for very long outside the body.
its possible your stress or another illness/virus is causing your symptoms - go see your dr to reassure yourself
good luck!
i suggest you get re-tested just in case
it is unlikely you have HIV (symptoms usually take years to show) and the HIV virus doesn't live for very long outside the body.
its possible your stress or another illness/virus is causing your symptoms - go see your dr to reassure yourself
good luck!
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