A doctor slammed another physician for spreading “misinformation” about a viral image of blood-splattered toilet paper soiled by IV drug users while dabbing their needles. The picture, which seemingly appeared to be first shared on Reddit’s Pics community three years ago, has continuously resurfaced, prompting misleading debates about HIV and hepatitis contamination. 

Upon the image going viral again, Dr. Sermed Mezher took to his TikTok page on Tuesday (September 10) to share his controversial take on the dated image.

“People have said that the risk of transmission from using [that type of toilet paper] is one in three for hepatitis and one in 300 for HIV,” Dr. Mezher said in the video, which has amassed 1.2 million views.

“But that’s for healthcare workers who get direct impact when the blood is still wet,” the TikToker explained. “The risk of transmission if something has dried up like this is significantly lower, but it’s still possible.”

An image of blood-splattered toilet paper soiled by IV drug users went viral 

Image credits: triocean/stock.adobe.com

According to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), the risk of infection after a needle-stick injury from a source infected with Hepatitis B (HBV) can be as high as 30% without vaccination or post-exposure treatment, which aligns with the “one in three” estimate Dr. Mezher shared. 

The transmission risk for Hepatitis C (HCV) is lower, around 1.8% on average. For HIV, the risk from a needle-stick injury is about 0.3%, or roughly “one in 300,” as Dr. Mezher stated.

HIV is the abbreviation for “human immunodeficiency virus.” It is a virus that attacks cells that help the body fight infection, making a person more vulnerable to other infections and diseases, HIV.gov explains.

The virus is spread by contact with certain bodily fluids of a person with HIV, most commonly during unprotected sex (sex without a condom or without HIV medicine to prevent or treat HIV) or through sharing injection drug equipment.

Dr. Mezher spread misinformation about HIV on TikTok, another doctor told Bored Panda

Image credits: drsermedmezher

If left untreated, HIV can lead to the disease AIDS (acquired immunodeficiency syndrome). The human body can’t get rid of HIV, and no effective HIV cure exists. So, once you have HIV, you have it for life.

Nevertheless, effective treatment with HIV medicine (called antiretroviral therapy or ART) is available, as per HIV.gov.

If taken as prescribed, HIV medicine can reduce the amount of HIV in the blood (also called the viral load) to a very low level. This is called viral suppression. 

If a person’s viral load is so low that a standard lab can’t detect it, this is called having an undetectable viral load, HIV.gov explains.

The image seemingly showed that drug users dabbed their needles 

Image credits: drsermedmezherexplains

People with HIV who take HIV medicine as prescribed and get and keep an undetectable viral load can live long and healthy lives and will not transmit HIV to their HIV-negative partners through sex.

In addition, there are effective methods to prevent getting HIV through sex or drug use, including pre-exposure prophylaxis, known as the abbreviated “PrEP”, a medicine people at risk for HIV take to prevent getting HIV through sex or injection drug use.

They can also take post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP), an HIV medicine taken within 72 hours after a possible exposure to prevent the virus from taking hold, as per HIV.gov.

Despite the TikToker’s claim that the danger of transmission from the soiled toilet paper existed, the risk was completely debunked by another doctor with expertise in the area.

Image credits: drsermedmezherexplains

“Nobody has ever contracted HIV or hepatitis from toilet roll,” Dr. Kate Nambiar, medical director at Terrence Higgins Trust, said.

She told Bored Panda in an email: “That’s because HIV doesn’t survive for long outside the body.

“Once HIV is exposed to air, it weakens quickly and transmission only takes place when it passes from one person’s body into another body.

“Hepatitis B and C are able to stay active for longer outside the body but are inactivated by drying, so transmission is effectively impossible.”

The risk of infection after a needle-stick injury is about 0.3%

Image credits: Randy Laybourne/Unsplash

Dr. Nambiar further countered: “It’s extremely worrying that over one million people have seen this Tik Tok from Dr. Sermed Mezher which spreads misinformation that it is possible to contract HIV and hepatitis from toilet roll.

“This is not only scientifically impossible, it’s also highly damaging to the lives of people living with HIV by perpetuating stigma and also instils fear in the general public.

“The vast majority of people get HIV through sex. It can also be passed on by injecting drugs as well as from mother to baby during childbirth (known as vertical transmission), but these are far less common.

“Only 1.7% of new HIV diagnoses last year were from injecting drug use and just 0.5% were vertical transmissions.”

Kate Nambiar, medical director at Terrence Higgins Trust, slammed the TikToker’s claims

Image credits: drsermedmezherexplains

The doctor argued: “It is crucial that Dr. Mezher retracts the incorrect claims from his TikTok.

“Terrence Higgins Trust would love to work with him to make sure his followers have up-to-date information on HIV.”

The Terrence Higgins Trust is the UK’s leading HIV and sexual health charity, providing services for people affected by HIV, poor sexual health, or at risk of contracting HIV.

“As a GP doctor with thousands of followers, he’s in a unique position to educate them on the facts about HIV, including the fact that people on effective HIV treatment can’t pass it on and can live a fulfilling life with a normal lifespan,” Dr. Nambiar added.

 

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A post shared by Terrence Higgins Trust (@thtorguk)

The sexual health and gender identity physician concluded: “We recommend that Dr. Mezher join the Fast Track Cities London HIV GP Champion Network, which is dedicated to improving care for people living with HIV, allowing him to go from sharing myths about HIV to [becoming] a champion of the HIV community.”

While HIV has been closely associated with men who have sex with men, recent data from the UK Health Security Agency shows that, for the first time in a decade, the number of new HIV diagnoses among heterosexuals in England has surpassed those among gay and bisexual men. 

Half of all new HIV diagnoses were in heterosexuals (49%) in England in 2020, compared to 45% in gay and bisexual men, the Terrence Higgins Trust reported in 2022.

HIV testing by sexual health services among heterosexuals during 2020 fell by a third (33%) in the UK, compared to a 7% decrease among gay and bisexual men. 

Image credits: Cavan for Adobe

This makes the number of diagnoses among heterosexuals passing gay and bisexual men even more significant.

Heterosexuals were also far more likely to be diagnosed late, meaning damage to the immune system has already begun. 

More than half (51%) of women, 55% of heterosexual men, and 66% of those aged 65 and over diagnosed with HIV in 2020 were diagnosed at a late stage. 

This compares to just 29% of gay and bisexual men. This is likely driven by a belief that they are not at risk of HIV, which is often reinforced by healthcare professionals.

The image ignited fear among many viewers

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