Sex with two prostitutes blood present on condom etc.

[Quintos1256]

I had two sexual exposures both were with prostitutes and I used a condom with both I wont mention the symptoms since they seem to appear irrelevant. Both times the girl first did fallicio in order to get the penis hard then used the condom for intercourse (don't know if this harms them at all) on the first prostitute nothing out of the ordinary happened so I am not worried about her. However on the second she was bleeding for no apparent reason she did not mention that she was on her period any ways their was blood on the condom I quickly took it off washed my hands and then masturbated until I ejaculated. Its the presence of blood worrying I am 22 uncircumsized male as far as I know the condoms did not fail but I might of gotten the menstrual blood or juices on my hand then masturbated to finish. thanks in advance. Should I test is pep warranted? I am guessing this is likely low risk but don't know if anything changes when their is significant amounts of blood on condom and falacio is given with condom before hand she didn't seem to put her teeth on it though as far as I could tell.

[H. Hunter Handsfield, M.D.]

Welcome to the HIV forum.  Congratulations for your recognition of the importance of safe sex and for using condoms for vaginal (or anal) sex, especially in potential high risk situations like commecial.  Because of that, you really have no worries here.

Even without condoms, frequency of sex during menstruation is not strongly related to HIV risk; if there is any effect, it is small.  Anyway, you used condoms so there was no material risk of HIV transmission regardless of blood.  Hand-genital contact does not transmit HIV, even when blood is present.  Oral-genital exposure (fellatio) almost never transmits HIV, which also has been discussed many times.  Finally, if you are in the US or other industrialized country, the large majority of commercial sex workers are not HIV-infected.

You definitely do not need PEP after this sort of event.  And you probably could not find a provider willing to prescribe it; this scenario does not meet any standard recommendations for PEP.   You don't even need HIV testing after an exposure of this sort (except perhaps for anxiety relief from the negative result if this reassurance doesn't settle your fears).

Best wishes.  Stay safe--   HHH, MD

[Quintos1256]

Thanks I figured that would be the likely answer. 20 dollars still well spent or donated considering how much I have used this site and how much relief it has brought being ignorant about HIV does not help.