Herpes Risk - Low if any?

[LKB1976]

Thank you for taking my question.

I am dating a girl and the other night she touched my penis and "masturbated" me.  We engaged in mutual masturbation.  There was a lot of kissing beforehand.  Also, she may have licked her fingers beforehand.  She used vaseline on me as a lubrication.  There was not genital-to-genital contact, there was no oral sex, and not other types of activity.  She was very clean (shaved, etc.) and did not have any signs of herpes or sores on her lips or vaginal area, etc.

Based on this forum, it appears that this type of mutual masturbation without any "protection" (ie gloves or condum) is safe.  

I have tested negative for both Type I and Type II herpes.

I have two questions:

1.  Is mutual masturbation, like I discribed, a form of safe sex...is there any need for me to be concerned or is it possible that I could have contracted herpes from this?  Can you get Type I from mutual masturbation?  What are my risks, if any?  I am more concerned about getting a Type I infection in my genital area.

2.  Regarding the herpes select IGG test, what is the timeframe for an accurate test?  I have read that within  2- 3 weeks, the test is already pretty accurate, even though the suggested timeframe is 3 months.  Is early testing still helpful?  For instance, can you tell me the % accuracy after 2 weeks vs. 4 vs. 6?  I ask because I was recently tested.  I don't think there's a need to be re-tested, but I would like to know.

Thank you.

[Edward W Hook, MD]

No, seroconversion can occur without symptoms however, without symptoms to anchor the time measured, assessing the time intervals is tough.  We assume that they are similar to those for persons who have lesions.

If asymptomatic, the HerpeSelect or a similar type-specific test would still be the test of choice.  EWH

[Wondering2000]

Looking again at your table, I see that you use the phrase:

"Median days from symptom onset to seroconversion".  

Does HSV 2 sero conversion only occur if someone exhibits symptoms? Does the test not measure from the time of exposure/infection? What if someone has been asymptomatic their whole life but wants to be tested for HSV 2?  Is the Herpes Select still the recommended test?

Thanks again.

[Wondering2000]

Thank you for posting the sero-conversion rates for the Herpes Select test.  There is a real lack of information on various parameters of the test including how to interpret result indices.  The manufacturers website was not particularly helpful.  Is there a particular paper you could recommend or is the data on the tests "label"?  

Alternatively, putting together a FAQ on the various tests and posting it as sticky thread might prove invaluable to the users of the board and lighten the load a bit on the physicians working here.

[Edward W Hook, MD]

I'm less clear regarding data for HSV-1.  Others may have some information.  EWH

[LKB1976]

Thank you for the data.  I was wondering if you had the same statistics for HSV-1?  Is there a website that has this data?

[Edward W Hook, MD]

For starters, indeed mutual masturbation is safe sex.  You are not at risk for STD acquisition from such and exposure.

Regarding the Herpes Select, here are the data

• Median days from symptom onset to seroconversion
– HSV-1: 25 days
– HSV-2, no prior HSV-1 21 days
– HSV-2, prior HSV-1 23 days

• % seroconverting by 6wks, 3mos, 6mos
– HSV-2, no prior HSV-1 77%, 93%, 93%
– HSV-2, prior HSV-1 59%, 73%, 83%


Hope this helps.  EWH