<ul> <li>wash the blood or saliva off your skin with soap and lots of running water</li> <li>if your skin is broken, encourage the wound to bleed and rinse it thoroughly under running water – but don't scrub or suck the wound</li> <li>wash the blood or saliva out of your eyes, nose or mouth with lots of cold water – if you wear contact lenses, rinse before and after taking them out, and spit the water out after washing your mouth</li> </ul>

What should I do after contact with someone else's blood or saliva? 

If you think you're at risk of infection, get immediate medical advice from your: <ul> <li>doctor</li> <li>nearest accident and emergency (A&#x26;E) department</li> <li>employer's occupational health service or medical adviser if you come into contact with someone else's blood or saliva – or injure yourself – while at work</li> </ul> ::: body-ad-desktop zones:: 232632,232467,232640 types:: 163 disclaimer:: AD typeFilter:: native_ad adCount:: 1 ::: ::: body-ad-mobile zones:: 232632,232467,232642 types:: 5,163 disclaimer:: ADVERTISEMENT typeFilter:: display/native_ad adCount:: 1 :::

Getting medical advice 

The healthcare professional you see will assess the risk of infection and decide whether you need any treatment. They'll ask how and when the incident happened. They may also need to assess the risk of the other person having an infection that could be passed on, such as hepatitis B, hepatitis C or HIV. Samples of your blood may need to be tested for infection. The other person's blood may also be tested, if they give their consent. ::: body-ad-mobile zones:: 232632,232467,233460 types:: 5 disclaimer:: ADVERTISEMENT typeFilter:: display adCount:: 1 :::

Assessing the risk of infection 

You may not need treatment if you're thought to be at low risk of infection. If there's an increased risk of infection, treatments such as immunisation against hepatitis B or antiviral medication for hepatitis C may be recommended. If there's a high risk of infection with HIV, you may be referred to your local hospital's A&#x26;E department for a treatment called post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP). PEP can sometimes stop the infection, but it's only effective if it's started within 72 hours of exposure to the virus.

Will I need any treatment? 



- wash the blood or saliva off your skin with soap and lots of running water
- if your skin is broken, encourage the wound to bleed and rinse it thoroughly under running water – but don't scrub or suck the wound
- wash the blood or saliva out of your eyes, nose or mouth with lots of cold water – if you wear contact lenses, rinse before and after taking them out, and spit the water out after washing your mouth

## Getting medical advice 

If you think you're at risk of infection, get immediate medical advice from your:

- doctor
- nearest accident and emergency (A&E) department
- employer's occupational health service or medical adviser if you come into contact with someone else's blood or saliva – or injure yourself – while at work


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## Assessing the risk of infection 

The healthcare professional you see will assess the risk of infection and decide whether you need any treatment. They'll ask how and when the incident happened.

They may also need to assess the risk of the other person having an infection that could be passed on, such as hepatitis B, hepatitis C or HIV.

Samples of your blood may need to be tested for infection. The other person's blood may also be tested, if they give their consent.


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## Will I need any treatment? 

You may not need treatment if you're thought to be at low risk of infection. If there's an increased risk of infection, treatments such as immunisation against hepatitis B or antiviral medication for hepatitis C may be recommended.

If there's a high risk of infection with HIV, you may be referred to your local hospital's A&E department for a treatment called post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP). PEP can sometimes stop the infection, but it's only effective if it's started within 72 hours of exposure to the virus.

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References

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Article information

All of Healthily's articles undergo medical safety checks to verify that the information is medically safe. View more details in our <a href="/safety" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">safety page</a>, or read our <a href="/legal/editorial-policy-principles" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">editorial policy</a>.

The risk of serious infection from someone else's blood or saliva is low. Learn about what to do after making contact with someone else's blood or saliva - using content verified by certified doctors.