From: romdas@uclink.berkeley.edu (Ella I Baff)
Subject: GETTING AIDS FROM ACUPUNCTURE NEEDLES
Organization: University of California, Berkeley
Lines: 44
Distribution: world
NNTP-Posting-Host: uclink.berkeley.edu

   someone wrote in expressing concern about getting AIDS from acupuncture
   needles.....

Unless your friend is sharing fluids with their acupuncturist who               
themselves has AIDS..it is unlikely (not impossible) they will get AIDS         
from acupuncture needles. Generally, even if accidently inoculated, the normal
immune response should be enough to effectively handle the minimal contaminant 
involved with acupuncture needle insertion. 

Most acupuncturists use disposable needles...use once and throw away. They      
do this because you are not the only one concerned about transmission of 
diseases via this route...so it's good business to advertise "disposable needlesused here." These needles tend to be of a lower quality however, 
being poorly manufactured and too "sharp" in my opinion. They tend to snag bloodvessels on insertion compared to higher quality needles.                                                                        
If I choose to use acupuncture for a given complaint, that patient will get 
their own set of new needles which are sterilized between treatments.      
The risk here for hepatitis, HIV, etc. transmission is that I could mistakenly 
use an infected persons needles accidently on the wrong              
patient...but clear labelling and paying attention all but eliminates 
this risk. Better quality needles tend to "slide" past vessels and            
nerves avoiding unpleasant painful snags..and hematomas...so I use them.                        
Acupuncture needles come in many lengths and thicknesses...but they are all 
solid when compared to their injection-style cousins. In China, herbal solutionsand western pharmaceuticals are occasionally injected into 
meridian points purported to have TCM physiologic effects and so require 
the same hollow needles used for injecting fluid medicine. This means...thinkingtiny...that a samll amount of tissue, the diameter of the needle bore, will be 
injected into the body as it would  be in a typical "shot." when the skin is 
puntured. On the other hand when the solid 
acupuncture needle is inserted, the skin tends to "squeeze" the needle 
from the tip to the level of insertion such that any 'cooties' that 
haven't been schmeared away with alcohol before insertion, tend to remain 
on the surface of the skin minimizing invasion from the exterior. 

Of course in TCM...the body's exterior is protected by the Wei (Protective) Qi..so infection is unlikely....or in other words...there is a normal inflammatory 
and immune response that accompanies tissue damage incurred at the puncture 
site.


While I'm fairly certain your friend will not have a transferable disease 
transmitted to them via acupuncture needle insertion, I would like to know for 
what complaint they have consulted the acupuncturist...not to know  if it would be harmful.. but to know if it would be helpful. 

John Badanes, DC, CA
romdas@uclink.berkeley.edu
                                                                                                    
  
