Dr. Kiran Anaparthi
HIV/AIDS specialist
The following is an actual conversation between an iCliniq user and a doctor that has been reviewed and published as a Premium Q&A.
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Patient's Query
Hi doctor,
I am suffering from HIV (Human Immunodeficiency Virus) phobia, and I am having a tingling sensation in my hand and feet. Can I get HIV from bed sheet as my penis foreskin was rubbed in a bus and there may be infected fluid on that spot? Can I get HIV from rubbing penis foreskin on wall or toilet seat infected with HIV? I am in stress and anxiety. I had many HIV negative antibody tests from such events. Now, I am feeling numbness and tingling in hand and feet because of fear due to ARS (Acute Retroviral Syndrome). Do HIV produce neuropathy at an early stage or it may be because of anxiety? Please help. I never had sex. I am not taking any drugs. I have regular sugar and calcium level. I have done ELISA (Enzyme Linked Immunosorbent Assay), chromatography, immuno filtration tests.
Hi, Welcome to icliniq.com.
No, you cannot get infected by HIV from a bedsheet or from toilet pans. Tingling and numbness occur due to many reasons. It needs evaluation. Remember, HIV (Human Immunodeficiency Virus) can only live at approximately 8-12 seconds in the outside world and live up to 20 minutes in tissue samples. It requires a living cell with a CD4 (Cluster of Differentiation)receptor to live. Can you live in water? Same way, it cannot live in the outside world. So, do not get panic. It is transmitted in unprotected sexual activity and chances increase with ulcers on genitals, and it is transmitted by contaminated blood transfusion, needle sharing by drug abusers. So, be out of sexual activity from an unsafe person, say no to drug abuse and get blood only from a licensed blood bank (if you need a blood transfusion).
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HIV/AIDS specialist
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