Blood Exposures
Students are sometimes at risk for exposure to blood borne pathogens, including hepatitis B virus (HBV), hepatitis C virus (HCV), and human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). Exposures occur through:
- needlesticks or cuts from other sharp instruments contaminated with blood
- splashes into the eye, nose, mouth, or broken skin
- sexual activity
Most BBP exposures do not result in infection. Following a specific exposure, the risk of infection may vary with factors such as these:
- the pathogen involved
- the type of exposure
- the amount of blood involved in the exposure
- the amount of virus in the other person's blood at the time of exposure
If you have an exposure to blood bone pathogens, you should report it quickly, so that we can evaluate the risk of infection, inform you about treatments available to help prevent infection, monitor you for side effects of treatments, and determine if infection occurs. In some situations, this may involve testing your blood over a series of months, to monitor for new infections.