After you read this yuor probably gonna think im a lunatic..But, anyways i got a tattoo 1 year ago and about 3 months later i got a rash wherre i got it at. And I started getting back pains, chest pains, swollen nodes, lack of eating,weigh loss,.And When I thought I might have HIV I started hearing advertisments about How needles from tatoos can transmit HIV, and I have been seeing them a lot. All day i think about getting tested but im scared and think my doctor might think im nuts or something. Its like HIV is taking over my body and i dont even know it. Help

Hi,
Like you I also got a tattoo several years ago and after heard lots about the risk of HIV. I checked around and was told that the risk was very low but got tested anyway. I was negative, I did find out a year or so later through a blood bank donation that I tested positive for Hep B exposure. We could only trace it back to the tattoo. The virus can live outside much longer than HIV. Hope this helps.

J

that is true about Hep B. also.... there have been no confrimed cases of transmission from a tatto needle, but get tested for Hep B and C because these are much more prevalent with this type of activity.