Sexually Transmitted Diseases / Question
Published: September 29, 2008
Dear TeenHealthFX,
Hi,the other day,my girlfriend had a nosebleed and some of her blood got on my hand. I know she doesn't have HIV since she's never slept with anyone else before. Could I have caught HIV/AIDS from that???!!! Help??!!!
Signed: Can My Girlfriend Transmit HIV From A Nosebleed?
Dear Can My Girlfriend Transmit HIV From A Nosebleed?,
It is possible for HIV to be transmitted through a nosebleed if the person with the nosebleed has HIV or AIDS, and if the blood from that person comes in contact with a sore or open wound of another person.
If you are in a situation and dealing with someone else’s injury (such as a bad nosebleed) and know the person is HIV positive, or are unsure of the person’s HIV status, the most ideal thing would be to let a medical professional deal with the situation. If, because of the situation, you need to intervene, the next best thing would be to wear protective gloves to help prevent any of the blood from coming in contact with your person. And if you happen to get another person’s blood on your skin, the best thing to do is to wash the area thoroughly with soap and water right away – and, if there is concern that the person who was bleeding has HIV/AIDS, speak to your primary care physician right away.
If your girlfriend definitely does NOT have HIV/AIDS, then it would be impossible for her to transmit the disease to you in any way. HIV cannot be randomly “created” in a person or spread by a person who does not have the disease. A person can only become HIV positive in the following ways:
- Through sexual contact with a person infected with HIV or AIDS.
- By sharing needles (a practice often done by drug addicts) with someone who is infected with HIV or AIDS.
- Babies born to HIV-infected women may become infected before or during birth (although there are medications available now which can greatly help to prevent this type or transmission of the virus), or through breast-feeding.
- Through transfusions involving infected blood or blood clotting factors (however, keep in mind this type of transmission of the virus is very rare as blood in the
If you have any further questions about this issue, please speak with your doctor, school nurse, or school health teacher. If you don't have a doctor and live in northern
The following organizations also have good information posted on the web about HIV/AIDS and STDs:
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention information on HIV and its transmission.
http://www.cdc.gov/hiv/resources/factsheets/transmission.htm
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention general information on HIV/AIDS
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention information on HIV/AIDS and STDs
http://www.cdc.gov/std/hiv/default.htm
HIV.com
MayoClinic.com information on HIV/AIDS
http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/hiv-aids/DS00005
Planned Parenthood information on STDs, HIV, and Safer Sex
http://www.plannedparenthood.org/health-topics/stds-hiv-safer-sex-101.htm
Signed: TeenHealthFX
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