Expert: Kristen Brannock, MPH - 6/23/2006

Question
Hi again, I apologise for the lengthy question

I have another question for you, this may seem kind of silly but its making me a bit worried. About 5 years ago when I was in 7th grade I was sitting in my SS class and during the whole class period the student behind me was throwing up his pencil into the ceiling which had a needle stuck in the eraser. He would do it when the teacher wasnt looking. At the end of the class period the pencil with its needle came down and stuck into the back of my head. I hadnt even noticed it had until after the idiot yanked it out of my head.
It was problably in my head for less than a second and I am pretty sure it was a sewing needle (but not 100% sure) but say if it wasnt a sewing needle and it was a syringe one that had possibly been used by and HIV+ person that the kid somehow acquired could have it possibly infected me? After being thrown up into a ceiling for a good part of an hour could a HIV virus survive inside of a needle like that? And it was in the back of my head for a second or less...could that be a factor?

Answer
HIV in not THAT easy to contract. It is transmitted through unprotected anal, vaginal and oral sex; through sharing needles and ocassionally from mother to child during childbirth. If the needle contained HIV infected blood and that blood entered your body, then yes, theoretically transmission is possible...however, it is highly unlikely.