Hi doctor,I need help. Two weeks ago, I was at a friend\s gathering or party. And we filled a barrel with glass bottle drinks and a lot of ice and a lot of water. Everyone picked up their drinks from the barrel. I had a cut on my finger and constantly dipped my hand in the barrel for a drink. I later got to know some colleagues at the party are HIV positive. But I did not see the water in the barrel bloody or anything of that sort. And I cannot tell if someone had cuts on their hands as well. A week after the incident, I got this mild cold. And I am worried. Please, is it possible for HIV to have survived in the water? Should it be the case that anyone had a cut on his or her hand? Is it possible to have gotten infected just like that? Please help me.
Hi. I have read your query carefully. You are tensed about your exposure to HIV. Now I am explaining you everything. HIV infection is usually acquired through sexual intercourse, exposure to infected blood, or perinatal transmission. In your case, you are exposed to HIV by blood mixing fluid to  ChatDoctor.  You have to keep in mind that the HIV virus does not survive for a long time outside the body. You also keep in mind that exposure through oral route is extremely rare. So there is very very little chance to be infected by this mean. But if you are worried after that explanation, you can go for a test named ELISA for HIV. But it needs minimum 2 to 3 weeks to be positive in the fourth generation test. And 7 to 8 weeks in the first generation ELISA todetect the virus after exposure. So you should wait. 