[kannonfyre]

There was an episode of CSI about a snuff film where the pornographer slashed his HIV positive victim across the jugular and her blood sprayed across his face and some of it got absorbed through his tear ducts or some pore near his eyes. He was thus ultimately infected by his victim. Anyhow, the show stated that this kind of HIV transmission was rare but possible.

Has any of you guys ever given any thought to the consequences of coming into contact with a perp's blood if you have to defend yourself with a knife? Lots of time has been devoted to blade selection, knife techniques and where to cut but what about the actual spilling of a thug's blood?

Any THR'ers out there with medical knowledge who can give an informed opinion of what might happen if an open sore or rash got into contact with an opponents blood in a self defense situation?

[Sir Galahad]

Oh, boy! When I was driving a tow truck, I was on police and highway patrol rotation for accidents and was on-scene for a lot of fatals and severe injury accidents. Lots of blood around. I wore arc welder's gauntlets with rubber surgical gloves underneath. Yeah, that doesn't help you, but you asked what everyone else does (did).:D

[makdaddy03]

Silly tv show isnt it? I hate TV. Listen to more radio. Its free.:evil:

[Jim March]

It's a serious consideration.

If you're doing the "de-fang the snake" number with cuts to the arms, the situation isn't as grim. Even with a wrist cut, he'll tend to curl the injured limb inwards, reducing outwards spray. If you can reach it, a cut across the inside of the elbow just above the joint will nail the big tendon where the bicep muscle curls the forearm up; doing so shuts down ALL use of that arm muy pronto but the big artery is along the inside edge of the bicep and there's a fair chance you'll miss it if the target is that big tendon. Not an easy shot to get but if you DO get it, take it hard, sometimes after grabbing the guy's knife-hand with your off hand.

Stabs don't spray as much. Instead of cutting his throat, stab sideways through it and then pull out.

Don't fixate entirely on your knife OR his. STAY IN MOTION, and if he fixates on your blade, kick him low to slow him down some. If you've got the strength and body mass, sidestep his charge, grab him by the back of the collar and whip him around and off his feet. He can't do squat to you while flailing through the air facing away from you, and you've got all kinds of shots available.

Be creative and vicious.

[Ol' Badger]

Lets see? Stay alive now by cutting the SOB and getting sprayed. Or letting him/her hurt you to prevent HIV? Like Nike says "Just Do It" and worry about it latter.

Stab low. Stab offen.

[mtnbkr]

Lets see? Stay alive now by cutting the SOB and getting sprayed. Or letting him/her hurt you to prevent HIV? Like Nike says "Just Do It" and worry about it latter.

Exactly. Even if you're unlucky enough to run into one of the 1 in 250 people that is HIV infected (approx 1mil infected people in US out of 250mil or more in country), you still have to get the virus inside you. Even then, if you get prompt, prophylactic treatment with antivirul drugs, you may be able to avoid infection (must be done before seroconversion).

Even if you were completely unlucky, cut an HIV infected individual AND got his/her blood on your mucus membranes/eyes/open wounds, AND didn't get successful prophylactic treatment with antiviral drugs, you'd still have 10+ years to get your affairs in order. The alternative is to possibly be killed now and have your relatives deal with the aftermath themselves.

Chris

[MonkeyMan]

There was an incident several years ago of an animal care tech getting splashed in the face with an unidentified liquid from a Herpes B infected Rhesus monkey. The tech became infected and died so transmission by that route is possible at least with Herpes B. HIV on the other hand appears to be much more fragile and more specific in the requirements for its environment so transmission by that method is far more problematic but not impossible, theoretically. If it was a choice between almost certain death by knife or the possibility of infection by spray, to me that's a no brainer.

[Jim March]

You also need to think about who and what is attacking you, and where.

I've had idiots pull out clubs in a threatening manner twice now. First was a solo homeless nut in a bad part of San Francisco...pulled a knife, he ran...but ponder the odds of HIM having a bad bug?

Second was four homicidal transvestites in Oakland armed with hammers. Odds of a nasty bug were even worse!

:mad:

But it didn't come down to blows there either :).

[Mute]

Second was four homicidal transvestites in Oakland armed with hammers. Odds of a nasty bug were even worse!

Sheesh! Now I remember why I like visiting the bay area but would never want to live there. I don't know how you live with it Jim.

[jmbg29]

Like I needed a reminder of why I always come to a knife fight armed with a gun.:rolleyes: ;)

[Byron Quick]

With HIV, a single exposure resulting from high risk behaviour,i.e, unprotected sex, sharing needles,etc. has a low probability of infection. Of course, with repeated acts, the probability of infection approaches 100%. For example, the rate of seroconversion among health care workers who experience a HIV infected needle stick...the seroconversion rate is 0.04%. On the other hand, 500 to 600 health care workers die from workplace acquired hepatitis annually in the US. (This last figure is about 6 years out of date...it's probably lower now).

Looking at the probabilities of infection compared to the consequences of not defending myself...I'd make the cut even if it meant being drenced with infected blood.

But having a gun would sure be wonderful...durn good reason to move.