Because it is unfortunately being shared again often, we are publishing our fact check AGAIN: There are NO HIV-infected syringes in fuel pumps at gas stations!
“Sharing can save lives!” it says in the status message. But that's complete nonsense, because in this case sharing just creates unnecessary fear. The picture of a supposedly HIV-infected syringe in the nozzle is now a year old and has been repeatedly uploaded to Facebook and constantly circulated during this period.
One of the best-known versions in German-speaking countries has been around since March 2018 and, interestingly, is currently (July 2018) being shared more frequently again. With almost 200,000 distributions now, the author claims:
SPLIT!! Attention, this is the new trick at the gas stations. They put HIV infected syringes into the hand pump. Pay attention and share!
Sharing can save lives!

Since June 2017 we have been receiving repeated inquiries about this story, especially from uncertain users from German-speaking countries. Last but not least, this is thanks to Facebook's automatic translation system, because this image - oh, who would have thought this? – doesn’t come from Germany at all.
In order to clearly refute it again, we provide our fact check at this point:
Fact check
So there is no new “thing”, there is no widespread phenomenon. The dynamics of such a fake should be clear to all of us by now. Therefore, we look at the origin of the image: The photo is real. It comes from the USA, more precisely it was taken at a gas station on Alessandro Boulevard in Moreno Valley. It was Jose Medina who wanted to refuel his vehicle on his way to work on May 22, 2017, but was injured by this needle. Medina then drove straight to the hospital to be checked for infections. The police were also informed and the incident was also discussed on Fox11 . His daughter Jacqueline Medina initially published this photo to urge caution. What she couldn't have imagined at the time: The picture would gain its own momentum and be dramatized by third parties by publishing the story in other places and expanding it to include the HIV component. However, the HIV virus cannot be detected so soon after contact because the incubation period lasts much longer.
A hoax has arisen!
After some time, this hoax also reached Jacqueline Medina, who then became irritated and contacted Snopes (US fact-checker) and reported the story there so that Snopes could clear it up [ 1 ]. The image and the hoax have now traveled across the USA and were also published in Florida as a warning, indicating that this needle was found in the area around Jacksonville (Florida). According to Snopes, it is a chain letter in which an (apparently non-existent) Captain Abraham Sands of the Jacksonville, Florida Police Department warns of numerous infected needles in several states:
My name is Captain Abraham Sands of the Jacksonville, Florida Police Department. I have been asked by state and local authorities to write this email in order to get the word out to car drivers of a very dangerous prank that is occurring in numerous states. Some person or persons have been affixing hypodermic needles to the underside of gas pump handles. These needles appear to be infected with HIV positive blood. In the Jacksonville area alone there have been 17 cases of people being stuck by these needles over the past five months. We have verified reports from at least 12 others in various states around the country.

And now?
José Medina has now received the test results from the hospital. His daughter posted on Facebook that the first results were negative, meaning there was no HIV infection. Nevertheless, further tests are carried out to be absolutely sure.
My father's lab work came back negative, but he will be getting follow up labs just to continue making sure it stays negative and additional testing to make sure he is cleared of everything.
She also states that she has removed the original photo and replaced it with another photo with a name tag because she fears that this image would otherwise spread further false reports. Well, we have reasonable doubts at this point as to whether this idea will work.
So, to conclude, to say it clearly again:
The picture is real. However, this incident only happened once - in May 2017 in California. No infections were found in the injured person. Not more. Out of. The rest is a chain letter and fake! Thanks for sharing this article.
Additional info!
The story about the HIV needle in the pump nozzle reflects the classic HIV fake narrative. The hysteria this creates is problematic because it gives a false picture of how HIV is infected. We always recommend that you visit German Aids Help
And the German Aids Association writes about the transmission routes:
HIV is relatively difficult to transmit. There is only a risk of infection if infectious body fluids come into contact with wounds or mucous membranes. These body fluids primarily include blood, semen, vaginal fluid and the fluid film on the mucous membrane of the rectum.
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Notes:
1) This content reflects the current state of affairs at the time of publication. The reproduction of individual images, screenshots, embeds or video sequences serves to discuss the topic. 2) Individual contributions were created through the use of machine assistance and were carefully checked by the Mimikama editorial team before publication. ( Reason )

