Aa
std testing
hello dr. handsfield
i think this forum is great and extremely helpful. i wanted to get your opinion on my situation.
i am 30 year old male. over the years have done many dumb things including protected sex with prostitutes, massages where i fingered the female masseuses, one time received unprotected oral from a stripper, and unprotected sex with three women (not prostitutes). a month ago i got tested for hiv, hep c and syphilis and thankfully it all came back negative.
at the time of the test however, i was 5 and 6 weeks removed from 2 massage parlour visits where i inserted my fingers into the masseuses vagina (maybe 20 seconds each), had some open mouth kissing as well. no visible cuts on my fingers but definitely some dry skin, maybe a bit cracked. then a few weeks after my tests for some strange reason i decided to have another similar massage parlour experience, same scenario, dryness and a bit of cracking on the fingers, open mouth kissing.
so was wondering:
1) were my negative tests reliable despite only being 5 and 6 weeks after 2 massage parlor visits?
2) shd i get tested again considering my latest massage parlor visit?
3) what stds could i have gotten at the massage parlor assuming my skin was cracked on the insertive fingers?
4) given my history, shd i get tested for other things as well? my doc tested me for the three things i mentioned above, but i have read many things abt diseases that seem to have no symptoms and was wondering if i needed those tests as well.
Thanks so much.
i think this forum is great and extremely helpful. i wanted to get your opinion on my situation.
i am 30 year old male. over the years have done many dumb things including protected sex with prostitutes, massages where i fingered the female masseuses, one time received unprotected oral from a stripper, and unprotected sex with three women (not prostitutes). a month ago i got tested for hiv, hep c and syphilis and thankfully it all came back negative.
at the time of the test however, i was 5 and 6 weeks removed from 2 massage parlour visits where i inserted my fingers into the masseuses vagina (maybe 20 seconds each), had some open mouth kissing as well. no visible cuts on my fingers but definitely some dry skin, maybe a bit cracked. then a few weeks after my tests for some strange reason i decided to have another similar massage parlour experience, same scenario, dryness and a bit of cracking on the fingers, open mouth kissing.
so was wondering:
1) were my negative tests reliable despite only being 5 and 6 weeks after 2 massage parlor visits?
2) shd i get tested again considering my latest massage parlor visit?
3) what stds could i have gotten at the massage parlor assuming my skin was cracked on the insertive fingers?
4) given my history, shd i get tested for other things as well? my doc tested me for the three things i mentioned above, but i have read many things abt diseases that seem to have no symptoms and was wondering if i needed those tests as well.
Thanks so much.
MEDICAL PROFESSIONAL
I didn't miss anything. Chlamydia is not acquired by oral sex. Gonorrhea can be, but almost always causes symptoms -- so if you didn't have pus dripping from your penis, you can be pretty sure you weren't infected. And yes, either of those infections would have cleared up by now.
That's all for this thread. Take care.
That's all for this thread. Take care.
doc one question i noticed u missed: could i have gotten chlamydia or gonorrhea from the unprotected oral as well (from a stripper)?
just asking again bc this was my most recent activity (7 months ago, which i guess means if i did get either it would have cleared up on its own by now...
and i promise thats it - happy new year again...
just asking again bc this was my most recent activity (7 months ago, which i guess means if i did get either it would have cleared up on its own by now...
and i promise thats it - happy new year again...
thank you, dr. happy new year!
MEDICAL PROFESSIONAL
1) No chance. First, you couldn't have been infected, if your description of the exposure is accurate. Second, both gonorrhea and chlamydia clear up on their own, without treatment, within a few months.
2) Herpes testing usually is not recommended for asymptomatic persons without symptoms of herpes. You certainly could be tested, but the tests are not perfect and misleading results are possible. (Just use the search link in this forum for "HSV blood test" and you'll see many examples of such problems.)
3) Did you take the time to read the other thread I referred you to? It explains my judgment there was no risk.
That you and you and your partner are hoping to conceive does not change the risk that you have an STD, and has little effect on the likelihood of a safe pregnancy and healthy child.
That will be all for this thread. This isn't something for you to be worried about. You had safe sex, for goodness' sake!
2) Herpes testing usually is not recommended for asymptomatic persons without symptoms of herpes. You certainly could be tested, but the tests are not perfect and misleading results are possible. (Just use the search link in this forum for "HSV blood test" and you'll see many examples of such problems.)
3) Did you take the time to read the other thread I referred you to? It explains my judgment there was no risk.
That you and you and your partner are hoping to conceive does not change the risk that you have an STD, and has little effect on the likelihood of a safe pregnancy and healthy child.
That will be all for this thread. This isn't something for you to be worried about. You had safe sex, for goodness' sake!
thanks, doc! sorry, some follow up questions...
1) all the protected sex with csws was done over 5 yrs ago - is it possible i got chlamydia or gonorrhea from any of those instances and still dont know it?
2) and bc of the unprotected oral i received and unprotected intercourse i had with non-csws, do you think i need to get tested for herpes? could i have gotten chlamydia or gonorrhea from the unprotected oral as well?
3) and last question, is your assessment of zero risk for stds from the massage parlor based on an assumption that the masseuse did not have any stds? say in the worst case scenario that she had hiv, does that change your opinion? would you recommend getting tested in that instance?
sorry, thats it... i guess i am just as paranoid as everyone else who posts here. my wife and i are thinking abt trying to get pregnant, thus the heightened worried feelings, particualry abt hiv and herpes (as i heard herpes can cause problems w babies).
1) all the protected sex with csws was done over 5 yrs ago - is it possible i got chlamydia or gonorrhea from any of those instances and still dont know it?
2) and bc of the unprotected oral i received and unprotected intercourse i had with non-csws, do you think i need to get tested for herpes? could i have gotten chlamydia or gonorrhea from the unprotected oral as well?
3) and last question, is your assessment of zero risk for stds from the massage parlor based on an assumption that the masseuse did not have any stds? say in the worst case scenario that she had hiv, does that change your opinion? would you recommend getting tested in that instance?
sorry, thats it... i guess i am just as paranoid as everyone else who posts here. my wife and i are thinking abt trying to get pregnant, thus the heightened worried feelings, particualry abt hiv and herpes (as i heard herpes can cause problems w babies).
MEDICAL PROFESSIONAL
Welcome to the STD forum.
Congratulations on following safe sex practices, especially with high risk partners like commercial sex workers. Using condoms for genital or anal sex provides nearly complete protection against STD. Oral sex is low risk, and kissing and fingering carry no measurable risk for any STD. To the specific questions:
1,2) Your negative test result are reliable and I see no need for further testing.
3) None; see above.
4) You didn't need testing for any of the infections you mention, if this is your only potential STD exposure. All sexually active persons (outside mutually monogamous relationships) should be tested from time to time for chlamydia and gonorrhea, so you might talk to your provider about having them now if not done recently. But not because of the specific exposures you describe here.
Here is a recent threat that explains why STDs are not transmitted by the kinds of exposure you describe. Skip to the end of the thread and read my closing comment:
http://www.medhelp.org/posts/show/1119533
Bottom line: No worries. Best wishes--
HHH, MD
Congratulations on following safe sex practices, especially with high risk partners like commercial sex workers. Using condoms for genital or anal sex provides nearly complete protection against STD. Oral sex is low risk, and kissing and fingering carry no measurable risk for any STD. To the specific questions:
1,2) Your negative test result are reliable and I see no need for further testing.
3) None; see above.
4) You didn't need testing for any of the infections you mention, if this is your only potential STD exposure. All sexually active persons (outside mutually monogamous relationships) should be tested from time to time for chlamydia and gonorrhea, so you might talk to your provider about having them now if not done recently. But not because of the specific exposures you describe here.
Here is a recent threat that explains why STDs are not transmitted by the kinds of exposure you describe. Skip to the end of the thread and read my closing comment:
http://www.medhelp.org/posts/show/1119533
Bottom line: No worries. Best wishes--
HHH, MD
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.
