Question
How long does HIV survive outside the body?
23 June 2010. Related: All topics, HIV transmission.
How long does HIV live outside the body in blood. Some info says 30 secs other go as far as to say hours.
Can HIV come alive and infectious if dried and then gets wet again?
I know that this seems like a weird question but I do have a legitimate reason for asking.
Answer
Thank you for your question.
To answer your question, please see a similar question by following this link.
It is difficult to put an exact time on how long HIV can live outside the body as it depends on many factors. In general, HIV cannot live outside the body for more than a few minutes even in optimum conditions.
Once blood is dried, even if it becomes wet again, HIV will not become infectious again.
HI Debby, please see here for more information about testing and transmission: https://i-base.info/qa/factsheets/hiv-transmission-and-testing
I got cut (some blood leaked out) by a manicurist in Cape Town. It didn’t look like the tools were necessarily sterilised. 3 weeks later I started having fever, headaches, spots on my face, severe abdominal pain and brown urine. It has now subsided.
Can I rule out HIV infection for these symptoms? The manicurist used the same tools very quickly after she did the nails for the previous client
Hi Arpit, please see here for more information about transmission: https://i-base.info/qa/factsheets/hiv-transmission-and-testing
I went for a blood test, so nurse was touching other tubes having blood split from them. She touched those tubes with some blood on outer surface of tube and then took my sample so she rolled the cotton with those hands only and applied that cotton to the area from where sample was taken. So am I at the risk of hiv cause infected blood might have been transferred?
Hi Jay, there is no risk of transmission. You do not need to be concerned.
More information about transmission can be found here: https://i-base.info/qa/factsheets/hiv-transmission-and-testing
I had protected sex with a sex worker. Male to female vaginal sex. I’m certain the condom did not break. However, before starting inter course, the sex work used her bare hand to put lubricant on or in her vagina. About 5 or so minutes later , she was rubbing her fingers on my lips during sex. I also rubbed my finger bare on her clitoris prior to (5 minutes) or so before putting on my condom. My concern is there was vaginal fluid on my hand from rubbing her clitoris or vaginal fluid on her hand from when she applied lubricant to herself and later rubbed my bottom lip with possibly the same finger, or transmission from me rubbing her clitoris and me using my hands that I rubbed clitoris with to put my condom on.
Hi Arjit, for information about transmission please see here: https://i-base.info/qa/factsheets/hiv-transmission-and-testing
Hi there, could you please tell me this I have one tension that when I had a sex with a girl I wasn’t aware that she is HIV positive then I touched her vagina after sex when I got into the washroom and wash my penis with tap water do HIV virus still there on my fingers???
Hi Adutiya, this is not a risk for HIV. There is not chance that you will be infected.
Please see here for more information about transmission: https://i-base.info/qa/factsheets/hiv-transmission-and-testing
I got cut during shaving in saloon. And the person who got shave before me may be HIV + (I am not sure but assuming) and he had also got a cut. But before my turn Razor was cleaned by water and then I got shave and got cut… Is their chance that i could be infected by HIV???