Can you please answer this and give me peace of mind?

Question

I am suffering from OCD and specifically a fear of HIV. Everyday little instances lead me to believe that I have acquired the virus, even though these instances never involve typical risk behaviors. My question is, if my fears are true and I have somehow acquired this virus, how many times should I wash my hands to prevent others from getting it when I come into contact with my own potentially infectious body fluids?

Answer 1

You should wash your hands as you normally would. That should be enough.

Answer 2

What you need to understand is that there is only a few ways that one can get HIV. If you have been doing any of them, what you need to do is go and get yourself tested. This will either confirm or deny what you are suspect of.

Secondly, you need to get on some medication to control your ocd. Your anxiety is very obvious in your posting.

You only need to wash your hands one time when getting potentially infectious fluids on ones hands. It is actually the length of time that one washes their hands not the amount of the times that they wash their hands. The kindergarten teacher tells the kids to sing the ABC song and that makes it long enough.

Good Luck and get yourself tested soon for your own peace of mind.

Answer 3

Wow, I just answered a similar question under STD's and a girl thinking it was bioterrrorism, hmmm. First of all you need to understand that you can't get HIV from shaking someone's hand, hugging, using a public toliet seat etc. You can only get HIV from an exhange of bodily fluids- such as sex or using needles for drugs. If you don't have unportected sex or use needles for drugs, how else would you have acquried the disease? I assume you don't breast feed since you use a computer. If you have OCD over this, seek out help. Make sure to tell yourself that when you use someone elses towel to dry your hands, there is no way of getting the virus.

Answer 4

I think your Fears are a LOT more to be concerned about- than your Risk of Contracting HIV... -Because all the washing of your hands in the WORLD- is NOT going to "wash away" that Fear! You need to get some kind of "Conditioning Counseling" - to allay that Fear... -Or it will do MORE damage to your LIFE- than getting HIV ... ... SERIOUSLY...!