poison oak and ivy may seem to spread but it does not. it is not contagious nor does it spread through the blood. the amount of oil on the skin from the plant (the oleoresin) determines what breaks out first -- the more oil the worse the reaction. a small amount of oil may take a day or two to react (like spreading the oil to your face by taking off a t-shirt) can occur days after the first outbreak on an arm or leg. poison oak and ivy can spread from objects that are contaminated with the oils. for instance if you had the oil on your shoes and someone picked up your shoes they could get it that way.
if poison ivy isnt contagious why is mine spreading on my body? does it go through the blood stream?