Aids and Flatulence

Quaid,
I have a neighbor who has a son who is H.I.V. positive. Two weeks ago my sister-in law and I were over at her house for a neighborhood watch meeting, and her son entered the room. I didn't even suspect anything until he bared his rear end to the entire group. He proceeded to fart very loudly. It sounded like a nearly empty Windex bottle, as he sprayed the unprepared crowd with his foul inner gas. Then, I couldn't believe it, he pooped! Right there on the floor! His mother then came in and just picked up the gooey mess with her bare hands as quickly as she could scooping it up as if it were nothing.

Needless to say I was shocked but I just sat there and minded my own business as she was spraying some air freshener. Later I began to wonder: Can you catch the A.I.D.S. virus by smelling a carriers farts? One must certainly not touch the stool of a carrier should they?

Margaret Lemke
Pryor, OK

Margaret, you poor poor woman,
Fortunately,you cannot catch A.I.D.S. by breathing a carriers flatulence. However, the virus could possibly be transmitted in the stool and most likely, if your hostess served you food after touching the stool, you could be infected as well. On the shiny side though, once infected the risk of re-infection is minimized. As an example, A few years ago I was exposed to the A.I.D.S. virus when I worked in clinical research in the Philippines. I have yet to be infected again.

Best wishes,
QD