What degree of protection does damaged skin give against infection
by HIV from body fluids. Someone told me that unless a cut was deep
enough to require stitches there would be little risk whereas another
person claimed that any cut would be a risk factor – but not if it
had stopped bleeding. A third claimed that any sore could let the
virus through. Who is to be believed?
Also what exactly is meant by an "open wound"? If blood is not
coming out does that mean that the wound is NOT open. Also how
long after bleeding does it take for new skin to form a barrier
that is impenetrable by the virus?
Rick
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In article <092313Z17021…@anon.penet.fi>, an399…@anon.penet.fi writes:
> What degree of protection does damaged skin give against infection
> by HIV from body fluids. Someone told me that unless a cut was deep
> enough to require stitches there would be little risk whereas another
> person claimed that any cut would be a risk factor – but not if it
> had stopped bleeding. A third claimed that any sore could let the
> virus through. Who is to be believed?
> Also what exactly is meant by an "open wound"? If blood is not
> coming out does that mean that the wound is NOT open. Also how
> long after bleeding does it take for new skin to form a barrier
> that is impenetrable by the virus?
> Rick
an open wound is a cut, scrape, burn or other discontinuity in the skin that
oozes fluid. From observations of surgical wounds when the fluid dries and the
protein coagulates after several hours the barrier is sufficient to prevent
bacteria from entering. I don’t think anyone has studied the exit of viruses
but theoretically a hardy virus (hepatitis B for example) might remain
infective if, say you got some fresh scab under your nail where you had a cut.
Whatever the risk is, it is less for HIV because of the lower amount of virus
and greater lability. A more serious problem is that as one moves around skin
is pulled and the wound may open again.