Expert: Kristen Brannock, MPH - 5/12/2009

Question
when i was 5-7 yrs ,me and my friend went to a doctors clinic and collected used needles(empty).he then used it to take out my blood.sometimes he used the same syringe to take out his blood too.i grew into a very healthy child(19 yrs now) .but since last 3 yrs my height has stopped to increase , and i am growing thinner, i feel my body has stopped to devlope further.i regularly get infected with boils all over my body, white patches on face (once a year).i even cant get proper sleep in night.moreover i am having problems with my digestive system too.help me.

Answer
I've never heard of children playing with needles like that. The only thing I can tell you is that you need to see a doctor. If you are concerned you may have contracted HIV from playing with those needles, then you need to seek an HIV test. You are 19 years old- you may have reached your height limit- people dont grow forever. As for the boils etc, you definitely need to see a doctor for treatment.