HIV Question?

Question

I'm trying to put my friend's mind at rest, can anyone help?
She has OCD (Obsessive Compulsive Disorder) and worries constantly about being infected with diseases - especially HIV and Hepatitis B/C.
Anyway, what happened is she saw a tiny line/mark of something red on her finger (on that transparent bit between her finger and nail).
She hasn't come into contact with any blood today (as far as she knows), and her healthcare workers are always telling her not to jump to the conclusion that everything red she sees is blood.
Well, what happened is when she saw this red on her she wet her finger with some spit and tried to rub it off, it didn't come off so she thought it couldn't be blood - so she then put the same finger on the end of her tongue again to get some more spit to rub it once more - it still didn't come off.
Wanting to make sure further she got a cotton bud and wet it with spit, then she rubbed the mark again and this time it came off. She's worried she's now infected.

I'm sorry, i know the question is long-winded. I just wanted to make i got everything down so she'd believe your answers - she gets very paranoid.
Anyway, if the question isn't clear i'll make it clearer.
She's worried that because the mark eventually came off it may have been blood afterall, and because she rubbed it and then put the same finger back in her mouth she's worried she put herself at risk.
I said if the mark didn't come off easily the first time and if it was blood it must've been dry - so no risk.
Am i right?

Answer 1

No, she won't get HIV from this.

She does, however, have a serious and treatable problem, OCD, and she should see a psychologist who practises Cognitive Behaviour Therapy. If her anxiety symptoms are disabling she could also discuss with her doctor whether medication could help.

OCD is very common, and it's important your friend gets proper help with this.

Answer 2

First off, HIV and hepatitis are spread by direct contact with infected blood or through unprotected sex. If she is in a profession that entails handling of blood or blood products then she should wear protective gloves and wash her hands carefully after she has handled the blood. There's the possiblity, of course, that she could have brushed her finger against a red marker pen which has indelible ink. If she's really worried about the possibility of infection then she should speak to her physician and stop acting silly about all this.

Answer 3

She should probably see someone about this problem, because even people who are not hypocondriacs can worry about small symptoms and blow them out of proportion. How about explaining to her that while all these unexplainable red pieces of dirt she runs into through her life are not blood, if she ever does get infected with a disease- both preventable or unpreventable- she will have the strength to get through it in one way or another. She will understand that life only begins when you learn to live it, but I'm sure she can learn this prior to something bad happening.

Answer 4

She has no chance of catching HIV from this sort of exposure. Saliva has enzymes that kill the HIV virus and the virus does not live outside the human body for long. There would also have to be a huge viral load which most people dont have. the chances she came in contact with someone with HIV let alone someone with a huge viral load are small

it might not even be blood, it could be ink, dye ect ect ect

Answer 5

okay first of all there is no way to satisfy someone that has obsessive compulsive Disorder so theres no reason to even try because she will still obsesse okay