Expert: Kristen Brannock, MPH - 4/7/2009

Question
QUESTION: can hiv be spread through using someone's glucose sugar checker that they use for diabetes? i have had symptoms related to hiv for months and during that time i used my nephew's sugar checker and he may have used it sometime after me.  he has had  mono like symptoms for months.

ANSWER: If the same needle is used, then it is a possibility. But that would mean that your nephew is HIV positive for you to get it in such a way. If you are sick you should see a doctor.

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QUESTION: My question was not detailed enough. I think that i may have HIV and could have spread it to my nephew.  Is there a strong possibility that i could have given it to him through using his sugar checker? My nephew has had mono symptoms for months after probably the time he may have used the sugar checker after me. I have been to the doctor and have been tested (4 1/2 months post possible exposure from a sexual encounter with someone).  The doctor has tested me for many other things and they all come up negative-including the HIV test.  I have had many symptoms of HIV since November and feel that if all the other tests are negative, then an HIV test would be positive at the 6 month point and that i may have given it to my nephew.

Answer
If you have tested negative 4 months after a possible exposure, you are most probably negative. Only a very small number of people take longer than that to seroconvert. I would stop worrying.

As far as the sugar checker- If it was the same needle, and your blood entered his body, then there's a possibility. I do not know how strong because it is all based on a lot of "ifs". But because you have tested negative, I would not worry about this.

There are many reasons that the two of you have symptoms of various sicknesses- much more common reasons than HIV. And it takes years for someone's immune system to be damaged enough to have HIV-related illnesses.