GA Teen Contracted HIV from a hair weave? Really?!?!

Nurses General Nursing

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Specializes in Complex pedi to LTC/SA & now a manager.

I am not an ID specialist but an educated person and licensed nurse. This GA teen insists she is a virgin (though I know teens that only consider lady partsl intercourse as losing virginity, oral & anal sexual acts "don't count") and never used IV drugs. She's insistent she contracted HIV after the needle used to sew her weave to her hair "punctured her scalp leaving scabs".

Really? (Ok so this is from TMZ)

Georgia Teen Contracts HIV After Getting Weave At Salon |

According to the teeanager, while receiving the sew in weave, her scalp was was punchered several times with the needle, causing bleeding in the scalp which later became scab wounds. I didn't think nothing of it, it's happened before whenever I've gotten a sew in” says the teenager. Three weeks after getting the sew in weave, the teenager began to experience flu-like symptoms accompanied with aching muscles and rash. The girl entered the emergency room one night where several test were performed and questions were asked. She was released from the hospital. A week later, her mother received a call from a nurse urging them to come back to the hospital. I was in disbelief. Total shock. I kept saying how can I have AIDS when I'm a virgin. That's when the nurses asked me several questions and thats how I remember being wounded with the weave needle” recalls the teen.
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The scalp was "punchered"? Does the author mean "punctured"?

Doesn't sound very likely, but it isn't impossible.

I'm thinking she just doesn't want her mother to know she has engaged in some kind of unprotected behavior. But, in theory, I guess this could happen if her skin was in fact broken with a contaminated instrument.

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Specializes in Complex pedi to LTC/SA & now a manager.
The scalp was "punchered"? Does the author mean "punctured"?

Doesn't sound very likely, but it isn't impossible.

I'm thinking she just doesn't want her mother to know she has engaged in some kind of unprotected behavior. But, in theory, I guess this could happen if her skin was in fact broken with a contaminated instrument.

How HIV is a fragile virus that degrades dies at room temp? You can't get it even if the needle had dried blood. I'm going to guess reality will come forth as peers find out who the teen is and reveal encounters. You can get HIV from oral sex and most commonly anal sex!

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If the salon reused the needles and "punctured" everyone, I guess it could happen.

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Specializes in NICU,ICU,ER,MS,CHG.SUP,PSYCH,GERI.

you know a virgin in Texas got pregnant from a flu shot...

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I thought weave was just braided hair. I didn't know there's needles involved...

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Specializes in Complex pedi to LTC/SA & now a manager.
I thought weave was just braided hair. I didn't know there's needles involved...

The braids are sewn in to last longer. It's common unless a weave or fall for a single day or two

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Specializes in Complex pedi to LTC/SA & now a manager.
If the salon reused the needles and "punctured" everyone, I guess it could happen.

How, they'd have to puncture person A then go right to B before the contaminated blood got cool or dry. Hepatitis I would believe. Staph I could believe. But not HIV, it's just not virulent ex vivo and not that easy to contract these days.

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I thought weave was just braided hair. I didn't know there's needles involved...

Dude.

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Specializes in Hospital medicine; NP precepting; staff education.
Dude.

I love when Far just posts Dude in any thread. I can almost see you sitting there, one eyebrow raised, shaking your head in disbelief.

For good measure, maybe you can add panache by just posting the following image

latest?cb=20111216183045

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yeah.....NO. Can't buy this at all. HIV dies within minutes of leaving a host, and once the fluid it's in is dry....it's done.

ONLY way I can see this as a possibility is if the person DOING the weave on the girl was HIV+, stuck HERSELF--bled on the scalp and/or needle-- and then instantly injected that into the girl's scalp. Not likely, but certainly possible.

If the hairstylist ISN'T HIV+......that kid's got some explaining to do!

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Specializes in Cardiology, Cardiothoracic Surgical.

Sounds like someone was 'fooling around' on second or third base with a guy and has some explaining to do!

HIV from a large, relatively dull tapestry needle I've seen used on weaves and braids? YEAH, NO.

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