Key points
- Treat all blood as potentially infectious, including your partner's
- Wear gloves for any activity or cleanup that involves blood
- Get vaccinated against hepatitis B
- After an exposure, get medical advice about PEP the same day
In detail
- Hepatitis B is highly infectious and survives on surfaces for days; a vaccine exists. Hepatitis C also survives outside the body; there is no vaccine, but effective treatment. HIV is far more fragile outside the body
- Blood contact happens in needle play, cutting, knife play, play piercing and impact that breaks the skin. Small amounts are easy to miss on dark surfaces
- Use needles and blades once, then put them straight into a puncture-proof sharps container. Never recap needles
- Cleanup: wear gloves, soak up blood with paper towels, clean with detergent and water, then disinfect, for example with diluted household bleach or a product labeled effective against viruses, for the contact time on the label
- Porous items (rope, leather, wood, fabric) cannot be reliably disinfected once blood has soaked in. Keep them for one person or replace them
- After a needlestick or cut: let it bleed, wash with soap and water, do not scrub or suck. Rinse splashes to eyes or mouth with water
- HIV PEP (post-exposure prophylaxis) works best started within hours: Swiss guidelines set a limit of 48 hours, elsewhere 72 hours is usually the outer limit. Hepatitis B protection can also be given after exposure
Warnings
- Do not wait until the next day to seek advice after a blood exposure
- A test right after an exposure cannot rule out infection; follow-up tests are needed
- Never share needles, blades or piercing jewelry
Resources and next steps
- An emergency department or HIV clinic for PEP
- Public sexual health clinics and HIV organizations for testing
- Your doctor for hepatitis B vaccination
- The needle play and STI prevention guides on this site