Nancy This is a risk/benefit type situation and it is ultimately your decision, but I would not advise you to stop breastfeeding. The situation, as you described it, carries a very low risk of contacting HIV, or hepatitis. You might want to contact an infectious disease specialist or even an HIV specialist to hear from an expert what your relative risk is. I am not sure about prophylactic treatment in these low risk situations, but you could also look into taking the anti-retroviral (I think) meds that are sometimes given. Not to give you a lecture, but just a reminder, so you (hopefully) don't have to go thru this again, treat your dry irritated hands aggressively, even seeing a dermatologist to get your hands healed, and wear gloves - you may have to wear non-latex or non-powdered; it is worth finding and keeping a box that agrees with you in your area. I hate the dry winter weather and dry indoor air during winter and all healthcare workers have to contend with these hand problems, esp. in winter. Laurie Wheeler, IBCLC, MN, RN Mississippi, s.e. USA *********************************************** To temporarily stop your subscription: set lactnet nomail To start it again: set lactnet mail (or digest) To unsubscribe: unsubscribe lactnet All commands go to [log in to unmask] The LACTNET mailing list is powered by L-Soft's renowned LISTSERV(R) list management software together with L-Soft's LSMTP(R) mailer for lightning fast mail delivery. For more information, go to: http://www.lsoft.com/LISTSERV-powered.html