No you cant - I believe it has to be a substantial amount passed across and something like a scratch would not spread it.

Hiv is not a magic jumping virus and cannot be passed to someone through everyday contact. Unless you have unprotected sex with your customers, share needles with them or drink their breastmilk, or if substantial amount of their blood goes directly into your bloodstream (and I fail to see how this could occur in the situation you describe) you will not become infected with hiv. Now stop worrying.

I don't believe that a substantial amount if required. You just need the body fluids of an infected individual to come into contact with an open blood vessel in an uninfected person for transmission to occur. This can result whether ten viral bodies are transmitted or if thousands are (comparing the size of viruses, just a drop of a fluid can contain millions). The passage of contaminated body fluids to the bloodstream of an uninfected individual inevitably leads to infection. In the us, those most at risk are non-heterosexual males, iv drug users and their heterosexual partners, and prostitutes. In the us at least, it is not as much of a problem as, for instance, hepatitis. Being in australia, many of the "plagues" the world suffers are either not found or not so common where you are, since it's an island and thereby rather isolated. Based upon my knowledge of the virus and comparing australia with the demography of the us as far as the virus is concerned, I don't think there is much of a problem with it over there. Basically, even the likelihood of you getting the virus through more direct contact is very low (~1-3% for heterosexual intercourse, for example). Basically, no worries concerning your work-related activities thus far.:)
some good, recent news is that scientists are now believing that, once the hiv virus attaches to the cd4 cell (one of the two types of t cells that make up part of your cell-mediated immune reponse) it undergoes a conformational change. If this is the case indeed, a new direction of research will be able to ensue to determine a way to make the virus susceptible to the current vaccines, or to develop a new vaccine to act against the newly-identified structure. 49 volunteers are about to be involved in research in china.

I'm sorry but that response indicates an ignorance of how hiv can be transmitted. The scenario described by the original poster is in no way feasible for becoming infected. If people could become infected by dealing with the public, hiv would be wiping out the population in billions. We cannot think of this virus in terms of the multitude of scenarios eg. I shook hands with someone who has hiv just after he sneezed etc. We must simply be aware that it is transmitted sexually and intrevenously, through open wounds and mucous membranes. It is not an airborne virus, so cannot be breathed in. Nor can it survive outside of the body for any more than perhaps a minute. Nor will it be able to jump into someone's body. Please remember this.

You're calling me ignorant? You're calling what my microbiology book says ignorant? What my professor with her doctorate and years of knowledge behind her ignorant? Furthermore what hundreds of other scientists say ignorant? Okay, genius! Let's just ignore everything/one else and listen solely to you.
If you were able to get past your arrogance and perhaps your own ignorance, you would realize that I did in fact claim that the original poster's scenario was not plausible:
"basically, no worries concerning your work-related activities thus far.:)"
did I say anything about hiv being transmitted through the air? Not by any stretch of the imagination--except apparently yours.
There's nothing wrong with anything that I said. The facts are plainly facts, while I delineateded my conjectures just as clearly. I suggest going back and rereading people's posts before you attack their responses. And bullsh*t you're sorry.

You don't have hiv from what you described. Hiv doesn't go looking for you. Keep that in mind. I respect your fears because it is a scarey concept and you're only 17. However, you are on the right track and you are conscience of hiv. This is a positive for you in your life. It's the best positive which will keep you negative. Do you get what i'm saying?

Since 1985, the ttransmission of hiv has been studied, not by dummies. It's a science. If you've had unprotected sex in your past, write me back. If not, keep condoms with you and go on and get your education, career, and live a happy life. Keep it in the back of your mind, but don't live through hiv. Simply protect yourself sexually and you'll be fine.

Look, it's not common nowadays for people to have questions regarding hiv transmission. Too much money has already been invested to teach people. You do have some knowledge about hiv, I at least believe or hope. However, what you have is fear of hiv that is best resolved by discussion. Don't get into conversations with individuals you you feel are insulting you. Just ignore the negative and stay positive (strange irony). Find your network and trust it.

Here are a couple of web sites to check out how hiv/aids is transmitted:

http://www.Cdc.Gov/hiv/pubs/facts/transmis sion.Htm

http://www.Mydna.Com/health/sexual/aids

there are tons of websites with information on them...Maybe go check some of them out, and get a broader perspective.

Peace

shannxi

Mistherd, you seem like a very angry person, just relax. Did I really insult you that much?