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Losing sleep over stripclub encounter
Hello Doc,
I am a 22 y/o hetero male who has made a terrible mistake.
Drunken excuse aside, these are the actions (and duration) I have taken with an unknown stripper
1) Performed cunnilingus (~30 secs)
2) Received unprotected oral (~1 min)
3) Received penis to vagina lips rubbing (~30 secs) ...which led to...
4) Unprotected vaginal insertion (~20 secs)
Ever since that terrible, terrible night I have been worried sick about anything I have contracted from it. Through reading this forum I have learned that the transfer rates for the more serious conditions are quite low. However, I do have a few other questions...
1) Is exposure time a significant factor in contracting any illnesses? (i.e. would those brief instances leave me a decent margin of safety?)
2) I understand that I will only really be at peace until I get tested but isn't it true that some of these diseases need to "incubate" (for lack of a better term) for a certain time before they can be detected? If this is the case, when is the earliest time from exposure that I can go get a comprehensive set of tests done to ensure that everything I could have possibly contracted will most likely be accounted for?
3) How safe is it for my partners to continue having a) protected vaginal sex (latex condom), b) unprotected oral sex (either way)?
Please let me know what you think of these questions, I am having terrible anxiety over the fear that I may be beset with a disease and that I might transmit it to others. Thank you.
I am a 22 y/o hetero male who has made a terrible mistake.
Drunken excuse aside, these are the actions (and duration) I have taken with an unknown stripper
1) Performed cunnilingus (~30 secs)
2) Received unprotected oral (~1 min)
3) Received penis to vagina lips rubbing (~30 secs) ...which led to...
4) Unprotected vaginal insertion (~20 secs)
Ever since that terrible, terrible night I have been worried sick about anything I have contracted from it. Through reading this forum I have learned that the transfer rates for the more serious conditions are quite low. However, I do have a few other questions...
1) Is exposure time a significant factor in contracting any illnesses? (i.e. would those brief instances leave me a decent margin of safety?)
2) I understand that I will only really be at peace until I get tested but isn't it true that some of these diseases need to "incubate" (for lack of a better term) for a certain time before they can be detected? If this is the case, when is the earliest time from exposure that I can go get a comprehensive set of tests done to ensure that everything I could have possibly contracted will most likely be accounted for?
3) How safe is it for my partners to continue having a) protected vaginal sex (latex condom), b) unprotected oral sex (either way)?
Please let me know what you think of these questions, I am having terrible anxiety over the fear that I may be beset with a disease and that I might transmit it to others. Thank you.
MEDICAL PROFESSIONAL
Welcome to the forum.
You had unprotected vaginal intercourse, which obviously carries some STD risk. There are no data on the likelihood of STD transmission with various durations. Presumably only 20 seconds carries less risk than more prolonged exposure, but nobody can say how much less.
The other exposures aren't worth worrying about. Oral sex isn't zero risk, but it's quite low for all STDs -- and a 1 second exposure can't carry much chance of STD transmission. The brief non-penetrating contact with your penis and her genital area carries little if any risk.
Gonorrhea and chlamydia testing are reliable very soon after exposure, certainly within 3-4 days and perhaps as soon as 1-2 days. Blood tests for HIV and syphilis need to be delayed by 4-6 weeks to be reliable evidence against infection. I recommend against herpes testing in this situation; the risk is too low, assuming you don't develop symptoms (blisters/sores of the penis).
All things considered -- i.e. both the chance the stripper has an STD and the chance you caught it if she does -- the odds are strongly in your favor. Of course if you develop symptomsn (pus or mucus dripping from your penis, sores of the penis) see a health care provider right away. Otherwise, just have routine testing in a few weeks.
Since the chance you caught something is low, there probably is no risk to your regular partner. However, no distant online expert can guarantee someone isn't infected. I notice you use "partners" (plural), so it seems you are having regular contact with more than one person -- or that you might be inclined to do so. I suggest you not have sex with any new partners until you have been tested. As for any regular girl friends or wife, you're going to have to make your own decision about unprotected sex.
Regards-- HHH, MD
You had unprotected vaginal intercourse, which obviously carries some STD risk. There are no data on the likelihood of STD transmission with various durations. Presumably only 20 seconds carries less risk than more prolonged exposure, but nobody can say how much less.
The other exposures aren't worth worrying about. Oral sex isn't zero risk, but it's quite low for all STDs -- and a 1 second exposure can't carry much chance of STD transmission. The brief non-penetrating contact with your penis and her genital area carries little if any risk.
Gonorrhea and chlamydia testing are reliable very soon after exposure, certainly within 3-4 days and perhaps as soon as 1-2 days. Blood tests for HIV and syphilis need to be delayed by 4-6 weeks to be reliable evidence against infection. I recommend against herpes testing in this situation; the risk is too low, assuming you don't develop symptoms (blisters/sores of the penis).
All things considered -- i.e. both the chance the stripper has an STD and the chance you caught it if she does -- the odds are strongly in your favor. Of course if you develop symptomsn (pus or mucus dripping from your penis, sores of the penis) see a health care provider right away. Otherwise, just have routine testing in a few weeks.
Since the chance you caught something is low, there probably is no risk to your regular partner. However, no distant online expert can guarantee someone isn't infected. I notice you use "partners" (plural), so it seems you are having regular contact with more than one person -- or that you might be inclined to do so. I suggest you not have sex with any new partners until you have been tested. As for any regular girl friends or wife, you're going to have to make your own decision about unprotected sex.
Regards-- HHH, MD
Hello Dr. HHH,
Thanks for your advice on the matter. I have since taken care of the matter in my personal life and have tests scheduled to make sure I am not carrying anything. However, something has happened since I've last posted. I've believe I have developed a small coldsore on the corner of my mouth (It's odd, I haven't had coldsores before but I know what they look like. This one only has a very small portion of red dryness outside the already small dry lip area. I'd almost think it was a chapped lip if the constant application of chapstick would alleviate the symptoms). Although I didn't mention it, there was a little bit of kissing exchanged in the previously described encounter. Now after a bit of research I've found that (a) HSV-1 is more common than the more problematic HSV-2 and (b) you can still get an outbreak of either on face and/or gentials.
How would you proceed in such a situation? Is there a surefire way to tell the two strains apart? Should I get a test for HSV-2 when I receive my other tests? If by the rare chance it is HSV-2 on my face, can you still detect this from a test given to detect it elsewhere or is it a purely localized phenomenon? Any info you could give would be helpful, thanks!
Thanks for your advice on the matter. I have since taken care of the matter in my personal life and have tests scheduled to make sure I am not carrying anything. However, something has happened since I've last posted. I've believe I have developed a small coldsore on the corner of my mouth (It's odd, I haven't had coldsores before but I know what they look like. This one only has a very small portion of red dryness outside the already small dry lip area. I'd almost think it was a chapped lip if the constant application of chapstick would alleviate the symptoms). Although I didn't mention it, there was a little bit of kissing exchanged in the previously described encounter. Now after a bit of research I've found that (a) HSV-1 is more common than the more problematic HSV-2 and (b) you can still get an outbreak of either on face and/or gentials.
How would you proceed in such a situation? Is there a surefire way to tell the two strains apart? Should I get a test for HSV-2 when I receive my other tests? If by the rare chance it is HSV-2 on my face, can you still detect this from a test given to detect it elsewhere or is it a purely localized phenomenon? Any info you could give would be helpful, thanks!
MEDICAL PROFESSIONAL
There are many causes of oral sores. For a lesion exactly at the corner of the mouth, a condition called angular cheilitis (usually of unknown cause) is the most common. But I can't say it isn't herpes. If it's herpes, almost certainly it is a recurrence of past HSV-1, not a new infection. Initial oral herpes rarely causes only a single lesion, and generally makes people quite sick with multiple painful sores inside the mouth, sore throat, and often fever.
Oral HSV-2 is very rare in the absence of overt genital herpes occurring at the same time. If it is herpes, almost certainly it is HSV-1. If you can see a health care provider within 2-3 days of onset of the sore, it could be tested for HSV -- and, if positive, the virus type can be determined. Otherwise, a blood test can be done to see whether you are infected with HSV-1, HSV-2, or both. The blood test doesn't tell when the infection was acquired -- but if negative now and positive later, it will show the infection was acquired in the previous few weeks.
Bottom line: I doubt your oral lesion is herpes, and even if it is, I doubt it has anything to do with your recent sexual exposure. But see a provider if you remain concerned about it.
Oral HSV-2 is very rare in the absence of overt genital herpes occurring at the same time. If it is herpes, almost certainly it is HSV-1. If you can see a health care provider within 2-3 days of onset of the sore, it could be tested for HSV -- and, if positive, the virus type can be determined. Otherwise, a blood test can be done to see whether you are infected with HSV-1, HSV-2, or both. The blood test doesn't tell when the infection was acquired -- but if negative now and positive later, it will show the infection was acquired in the previous few weeks.
Bottom line: I doubt your oral lesion is herpes, and even if it is, I doubt it has anything to do with your recent sexual exposure. But see a provider if you remain concerned about it.
You are reading content posted in the STDs Forum
Herpes spreads by oral, vaginal and anal sex.
Herpes sores blister, then burst, scab and heal.
STIs are the most common cause of genital sores.
Millions of people are diagnosed with STDs in the U.S. each year.
STDs can't be transmitted by casual contact, like hugging or touching.
Syphilis is an STD that is transmitted by oral, genital and anal sex.
