Expert: John Thai, M.D. - 4/20/2010

Question
hi, i have a few questions about hiv/aids.

does anyone know for sure how long hiv/aids lives outside the body? say on a toothbrush or razor? i have heard 48 hours, is that true?

are there alot of cases of people getting hiv/aids from a toothbrush or razor?

if you do contract it, how long does it take to show up on a blood test?

and finally when you go to the emergency room for a bad case of hemorrhoids and they take your blood to see how low your blood count is would they do a hiv test as well?

thank you for your help, any help would be appreciated.
thanks kristan.

Answer
Hi kristan,

The possibility of contracting hiv from toothbrushes or razors were based on laboratory studies. There has not been any documented cases of such transmission in humans. As it takes the virus weeks to present with symptoms in a few individuals, no one can recollect the mode of transmission except human to human transmission by testing all partners involved.

Hiv can sustain life outside the human body for relatively a long period should the conditions be right. If it was on an object like a toothbrush or razor, it could easily die with solvents like toothpaste or unfavorable conditions. 48-72 hrs would be a good esimate. The dead blood cells and its contents can still be detected by laboratory methods; however, the chances of infecting a human is low to none.

If an individual contracts hiv, the current available testing method can detect the virus as early as 2 weeks from date of the incident. Please remember that there are more than one type of hiv. The most prevalent in the us is hiv-1.

If you go to the er or any medical facility, an hiv test cannot be administered without consent. The only time legally justifiable is when a healthcare worker is injured and there is high suspicion for hiv. There are bioethical rules concerning this which all medical facilities adhere to.