Aa
One Night
The other night I had unprotected sex one time with a friend (I am a caucasian female, 24 and he is 33). This is my first encounter after getting out of a 2 year monogamous relationship. He has had many previous partners but most recently has had about 3 serious, monogamous relationships within the past year or so (all unprotected, the last one an engagement). He claims that he has been screened regularly throughout the years for everything - HSV, HIV, Gon, Syph, Chla. and they have all come up negative. The last time was before his last relationship and she was tested too and both were negative before sexual activities (about 3 months ago). I was tested before my 2 year relationship and am clean.
So here are my questions -
a) If he has had many sexual partners over his life, protected and unprotected but has been tested for everything this year and it has all come back negative, how worried should I be that the tests are missing something or are not accurate? Especially with respect to his 3 relationships this year.
b) She may have been faithful to him. Assuming she was within the last month, how does this put me at risk?
c) If he was not tested for HPV should I be concerned? What is my risk for HPV?
Thank you so much for your help in this matter. I am planning to be tested but I am assuming I need to wait longer for the full screen to be accurate. About how long should I wait?
-E
So here are my questions -
a) If he has had many sexual partners over his life, protected and unprotected but has been tested for everything this year and it has all come back negative, how worried should I be that the tests are missing something or are not accurate? Especially with respect to his 3 relationships this year.
b) She may have been faithful to him. Assuming she was within the last month, how does this put me at risk?
c) If he was not tested for HPV should I be concerned? What is my risk for HPV?
Thank you so much for your help in this matter. I am planning to be tested but I am assuming I need to wait longer for the full screen to be accurate. About how long should I wait?
-E
MEDICAL PROFESSIONAL
You describe a very low risk situation for most STDs. To your specific questions:
1) The results of testing for the common STDs (those for which tests are routinely available) are reliable, regardless of the risk level of the person tested. In any case, the sexual lifestyle you describe for your partner is not high risk by any standard. It is low to middling risk for most STDs.
2) Of course I have no way to judge whether his other partners in turn may have had low- or high-risk lifetyles, but your partner's negative tests remain reliable. That fact is more important than trying to guess at things you can never know.
3) Of course he was not tested for HPV. There are no routinely available tests for HPV in men. But HPV isn't worth any worry. We all get it at least one; indeed, probably most of us get more than one infection. HPV is a normal, expected, and natural consequence of human sexuality, and even people with only one lifetime partner often become infected. That's why women need pap smears, regardless of the apparent risk for STD: even the woman at lowest risk for STD has a high chance of catching HPV someday.
The HPV vaccine protects against 4 of the most common types most likely to cause disease, and makes sense for most sexually active younger persons, like yourself. You should discuss immunization with your health care provider. Aside from that, there is little to be done and HPV isn't worth worrying about, since most infections never cause symptoms and clear up without the infected person ever knowing they had the virus.
It is reasonable for all sexually active persons outside mutually monogamous relationships to be tested periodically for common STDs. Although I see little risk in your current partnership, by all means seek testing if the negative results will comfort you. Although some infections (e.g., chlamydia, gonorrhea) would show up within a few days of a new infection, others take longer. But you need not wait long; 4-6 weeks is plenty. But don't expect HPV testing. Rather than worrying about HPV now, just wait until the time comes for your annual pap smear -- and have your next pap smear then. There is no point in any HPV testing other than that.
I hope this helps. Best wishes-- HHH, MD
1) The results of testing for the common STDs (those for which tests are routinely available) are reliable, regardless of the risk level of the person tested. In any case, the sexual lifestyle you describe for your partner is not high risk by any standard. It is low to middling risk for most STDs.
2) Of course I have no way to judge whether his other partners in turn may have had low- or high-risk lifetyles, but your partner's negative tests remain reliable. That fact is more important than trying to guess at things you can never know.
3) Of course he was not tested for HPV. There are no routinely available tests for HPV in men. But HPV isn't worth any worry. We all get it at least one; indeed, probably most of us get more than one infection. HPV is a normal, expected, and natural consequence of human sexuality, and even people with only one lifetime partner often become infected. That's why women need pap smears, regardless of the apparent risk for STD: even the woman at lowest risk for STD has a high chance of catching HPV someday.
The HPV vaccine protects against 4 of the most common types most likely to cause disease, and makes sense for most sexually active younger persons, like yourself. You should discuss immunization with your health care provider. Aside from that, there is little to be done and HPV isn't worth worrying about, since most infections never cause symptoms and clear up without the infected person ever knowing they had the virus.
It is reasonable for all sexually active persons outside mutually monogamous relationships to be tested periodically for common STDs. Although I see little risk in your current partnership, by all means seek testing if the negative results will comfort you. Although some infections (e.g., chlamydia, gonorrhea) would show up within a few days of a new infection, others take longer. But you need not wait long; 4-6 weeks is plenty. But don't expect HPV testing. Rather than worrying about HPV now, just wait until the time comes for your annual pap smear -- and have your next pap smear then. There is no point in any HPV testing other than that.
I hope this helps. Best wishes-- HHH, MD
men are not tested for hpv. if he is a carrier, there is no way for you to know unless he has the low-risk genital warts.
Sorry.....in question "b" I meant to say that she may have been unfaithful to him, he is not sure but suspects.
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.
