how long can semen stay infectious once out of human body ??


Question:
meaning if somebody's semen ( infected or uninfected) gets in touch with clothes ( ie shirt) can it cause infection if you then touch it or if that piece of cloth touches other clothes???

expert opinions if possible please

Answers:
There is no infection that can be passed from touching semen on clothes or from semen on clothing touching your skin.
Think about the way that infectious agents such as bacteria or viruses work. They have to find a way through our first line of defence - our skin. Now our skin is a robust and thick, inpenetrable layer of tissues, the outer layer being formed of millions of dead cells tightly packed together. Even if there was a cut or scratch our bodies form a scab that keeps infectious agents out. So we would need to have a deep open wound with access to our blood stream - I think you'd notice if you had blood pumping out of a cut vein or artery! Even if you did have a big bleeding cut, blood comes out to wash away infectious agents and to cause a scab to form. So that's not an easy way to get infected.
Blood borne viruses (BBVs) - I guess you are worried about HIV or Hepatitis C - need access to specific cells to infect that are found only in the blood stream. In the UK there have only ever been about 6 health care workers who have been infected by HIV through a Needle stick injury - and they were nursing patients dying of AIDS - so the blood was highly infectious and the needle penetrated the skin - no-one has ever, ever in all of the world contracted a BBV in the manner you suggest.
I know of no other infection that could be passed from semen on cloth. Please be re-assured.
up to 48 hrs


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