HIV-Infected Needles Are Being Found in Theater Seats-Fiction!
Summary of eRumor:There are several versions, but typically they describe a woman who went to the movies, sat down in one of the theater seats, and felt a stabbing pain. She quickly jumped up and found the needle of a medical syringe sticking out of the seat. There was also a note that said, “You have been infected with HIV” or “welcome to my world…you now have HIV. The email goes on to say that the U.S. Centers for Disease Control have issued a warning about needles being found in theaters.
The Truth:
This is a hoax. There are no documented cases of HIV-infected needles being found in theaters. There are other versions of this eRumor that say HIV-infected needles have been found in the coin return slots of pay phones, children’s play areas at fast food restaurants, and soft drink machines in Florida, Texas, and many other cities and states. One note about this particular version of the story is that although it says the needle was found in a theater in Montreal, Canada, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control is quoted as having commented on it.