Expert: Terry B - 9/22/2008

Question
Hi Terry,
First, thank you for taking the time to answer my question.

I was getting a manicure for my wedding...fake nails put on.  The technician was holding my hands in hers as she was filing each nail.  I looked at her thumb, and she appeared to have blood under her nail and a little on the top of her thumb.  I do not really have any open cuts, but I do have skin and cuticles that are peeling on my fingers.  Does this peeling skin all HIV in?  Am I at risk if this blood got on me?  Now, she wasn't actively bleeding...I don't think.  I think it was blood either from her or another client earlier.
Sorry if it sounds crazy, but I'm a little scared.
Thanks again.

Answer
Hi Shann:

Peace and all good things, and congratulations on your upcoming wedding.

I think the easiest way to answer your question is to tell you that there have been tens of thousands of exposures to HIV-infected blood  to intact skin in the healthcare setting and very, very few transmissions (www.cdc.gov) even in the presence of large volume exposures to people known to be HIV positive.


The fluids that transmit HIV are primarily blood, semen, and vaginal secretions.  The risk of transmission increases with the frequency (how often exposed), amount of fluid (volume) to which a person is exposed, the duration of that exposure (receptive being higher risk), concentration of HIV in the fluid (higher early and late, lower if effectively medicated).

I am, on reading, a little concerned about the possibility of blood from another client being on the equipment - not so much about HIV risk as about general hygiene and other infections, including Hepatitis, though I still think your risk small from what you describe.

If this is your only exposure to the blood, semen, or vaginal secretions of another person, I would expect you to be at no risk for HIV.   

Best to you and yours, and congratulations again on your upcoming wedding.

Terry