Is this a possible way to contract HIV??? Please read!?

Hello. I am 20 years old. Virgin. NON-IV drug user.

I have OCD and a phobia of HIV and was wanting to know a question about possible exposure.

SERIOUS ANSWERS ONLY.

I was at Target and I bought this thick cardboard like box. (The kind that you can buy for storage and what not)

Well, when I got home, it looks as if there was a light red, pinkish colored streak on the box. Very subtle. What if someone wiped their blood on there only for me to pick the darn thing up and get it into one of my cuts on my hands or to get it on my hands and then get it into my mucus membranes?

I did not see any blood or anything on my hands. Also, I don't even think it was wet. Or even wet enough to spread.

Whenever I got home, I showed my boyfriend and he thinks it either looks like a pen mark or crayola line or as if someone had nail polish on and it was dry but rubbed on the box.

I am almost positive it wasn't blood, but if it was, is this even possible?

Please help!

Hi, I understand completely.
My fiance has OCD too and worries about the exact same things. She automatically thinks any red/brown mark is blood, and she can work herself into such a state over it.
Basically, the chances of contracting HIV this way is very unlikely. The virus doesn't survive outside of the body for long, and blood begins to break down and dry as soon as it is exposed to air.

Most pathogens don't survive drying of blood. I would not worry about it if it were me.

It is possible that you can get HIV passed on through the blood. There have even been cases of people being stabbed and the victims blood getting into the stabbers eyes and giving them the disease but i dont think its possible via dried blood and the chance that you will have HIV from this is VERY unlikely

The AIDS virus has about a 15 min life span outside of the host. That would mean that even moist body fluids would not be contagious after this time. The human blood itself begins to break down quickly too - even if it is kept at body temperature, so no need to worry that blood on a 98 degree day will stay potent - that is why blood banks must collect donor blood within a certain time period and then start processing it immediately.

HIV can not survive after 15 minutes outside the body. And the chance of someone having HIV and cutting them self with a cardboard while at Target is very very low.

even if it was blood exposure to the air would kill the virus. it lives in warm wet areas. ie: sex, intravenous needle users, some blood tranfusions. or some kind of direct immediate contact. so you should be safe.

Can't happen. The virus dies after being exposed to the air.