HIV risk in public bathroom

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penasquitos@gmail.com - 15 Jun 2007 04:56 GMT

WARNING: don't read this if you are about to go to lunch - this may
spoil your appetite.

I've read that most HIV+ people have detectable levels of HIV in their
feces. So when an HIV+ person defecates in a public bathroom, the
water in the toilet bowl can contain the virus. Flushing would
obviously help, but it only dilutes the original water - it does not
replace 99.99% of it.

Now, suppose that a person with a hemorrhoid sore or something is the
next to use the toilet. While he is defecating, a micro-droplet of the
infected toilet bowl water reaches his bleeding sore, transmitting the
virus. When years later, he is diagnosed with AIDS, there is no way to
track the infection back to the unfortunate bathroom incident.

I don't know what the odds of this scenario are. After all, how likely
is it that an HIV+ person just defecated in the toilet you are about
to use, before bleach, etc. killed all of the virii. However, what if
your roommate is HIV+ and you share the same bathroom day after day?
What if you don't use bleach?

I know that it's terribly politically incorrect to suggest the
possibility of HIV transission by means other than sex and needle
sharing, and I can see why. But, personally, I'm more interested in
knowing the truth than in being politically correct.

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#1 Fan - 22 Jun 2007 18:02 GMT

penasquitos@gmail.com wrote...

> I know that it's terribly politically incorrect to suggest the
> possibility of HIV transission by means other than sex and needle
> sharing, and I can see why. But, personally, I'm more interested in
> knowing the truth than in being politically correct.

I wondered the same thing and was called insane for even suggesting it
because the brochure they give you at the AIDS clinic sez that it is
impossible to contract via surface contact (which is why the counselor
at the clinic who gives you the brochure wears latex gloves). My
specific objection was to sharing a toilet with an AIDS patient whose
medication side-effects included explosive technicolor diarrhea all
over the toilet seat. I was informed that my objection was insensitive
and that I required $500/hour "counseling" to re-educate me to enjoy
sitting my bare a.s upon some AIDS patient's psychedelic fecal smears.

Oh, and I should add that none of the Dr. Phils lecturing propaganda
slogans at me bothered to offer to sit THEIR bare a.ses on the colorful
fecal smears; it seems that $500 only purchases a propaganda slogan but
sincere belief in that slogan isn't included at any price.

Finally, while HIV might not be terribly contagious via toilet seats,
other diseases might be, including diseases known to be transmissable
via surface contact: Hepatitis, herpes, and gawd-knows how many species
of wart and pox viruses and the assorted bacteria and fungi associated
with the festering anal boils that AIDS patients are prone to. Naturally,
objection to any of this is offensive, heretical, unprogressive, and
mentally-unhygienic and grounds for having you hauled off in a straight-
jacket by men wearing white coats and latex gloves.

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