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Can HIV Be Contracted Through Non-penetrative Sexual Activity?

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Posted on Tue, 21 Apr 2015
Question: I Hi Doctor,

I recently visited a strip club where there was intense lap dancing. During the night I fingered her a little bit and she also would give me hand jobs. We had a break where I used the restroom and of course touched my penis to urinate with the same hand I used to finger her. After washing hands the lap dances continued and I cannot remember if I fingered her again but I do know I used the same hand for my Masterbation. Do you think there's any risk of STD's from this encounter even if her vaginal fluid was on my hand during masterbation or while I urinated? Any risk of HIV, Herpes, HPV, or the bacterial STD's?

After a couple days a found a single spot at the base of my penis but was told by a dermatologist that it's folliculitis. Would you agree since it's only a single lesion and not cluster? There was never any pain and it's almost gone after 4 days.

In your opinion is it safe to continue unprotected sex with my wife or is testing needed?

Thanks
doctor
Answered by Dr. Dr. Kakkar (47 minutes later)
Brief Answer:
Your contact seems to be relatively safe, testing would be confirmatory

Detailed Answer:
Hello. Thank you for writing to us

I have taken note of your query and I wish to help you in that regard.

Fingering is considered to be a relatively safe sexual practice if we talk in terms of risk of an STD.

Human immunodeficiency virus/ HIV cannot survive outside the body for more than a few seconds. Moreover, the virus cannot enter intact skin.
The same holds true for HSV/ herpes simplex virus i.e it cannot survive outside the body and dies as soon as it is exposed to air.

Human papilloma virus/ HPV can survive outside the body and does not require bodily fluids for transmission.
The most common route for transmission of genital Human papilloma virus/ HPV infection is through direct/ intimate sexual contact with an infected sexual partner, however, genital HPV types can very rarely transmit indirectly through infected surfaces as well i.e fingers.
However, this is a hypothetical risk and has not been measured.

There is a very small risk of syphilis transmitting directly through intact skin of fingers because the bacterium i.e Treponema Pallidum, can penetrate intact skin.
In such cases of infection the patient would then present with an extra-genital syphilitic chancre/ sore on finger.

Indirect transmission through fingers is possible in syphilis if some of vaginal secretions were present on your fingers, however, because this bacteria cannot survive outside body in dried secretions and dies quickly on drying, therefore the risk is very less.

Therefore, you don't seem to be at a very obvious risk from the kind of non-sexual contact that you had.
However, you may take up a test for syphilis i.e VDRL/ RPR test at 3 weeks

Regards
Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar
doctor
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Follow up: Dr. Dr. Kakkar (44 minutes later)
Thanks Doctor. How about the risk of her giving me a hand job? Also I used the same hand to give myself a handjob and there could have been a slight bit of vaginal fluid present on my hand. Would this pose a risk for any std's? How about chlymadia and gohnorrhea is there a risk for that as well as herpes, syphillis, hiv, hpv?
doctor
Answered by Dr. Dr. Kakkar (59 minutes later)
Brief Answer:
Very less risk of an STD

Detailed Answer:
Hi.

If we suppose that she was infected with one or the other Sexually transmitted diseases and there were some vaginal secretions (not dried secretions) that came in contact with your penis during the act of masturbation, there is a theoretical possibility of transmission of syphilis but the risk is very less as not a lot of vaginal fluids would have come into contact.

For transmission of genital herpes there must be friction, moisture, and heat-producing contact between two people and contact with infectious secretions such as is usual during a sexual intercourse.
However, if there were some infected vaginal fluids (not dried up secretions) during the act of masturbation it can also lead to transmission of genital herpes infection.
The underlining fact is that the virus causing genital herpes or bacteria causing syphilis cannot survive outside the body for long & gets killed in dried body secretions.

Gonorrhea and chlamydia is unlikely to transmit through handjob/ masturbation.

Handjob/ Masturbation too does not pose any risk of HIV.

Regards
Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar
doctor
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Follow up: Dr. Dr. Kakkar (3 hours later)
In your opinion should I stop worrying about this and put it behind me? I've seen other posts on this site that basically say that about this same exposure since its theoretical.

Please help put my mind to ease if that's the case.

Thanks
doctor
Answered by Dr. Dr. Kakkar (33 minutes later)
Brief Answer:
Just go ahead with the tests and that will put your mind at ease

Detailed Answer:
Hi.

Don't worry. The risk is very very less and therefore theoretical and this is not the usual way for an STD to happen.

However, any direct contact with a potentially infectious genital secretion should be followed by testing.

In this case her vaginal secretions did came in contact with your finger and might have possibly come into contact with your penis through your own fingers.

Sexual contact whether it is oral, vaginal or anal carries more chances of an STD as compared to other forms of contact..

Factors that essentially play a part in sexually transmitted infections/ STI's are...
(1). friction during sexual encounter leading to wear and tear,
(2). contact with infected genital secretions and
(3). moisture that is necessary for the organism to remain viable and facilitate transmission.

Handjob is therefore not a risk because there is no exchange of secretions.

Masturbation (and friction/ rubbing that accompanies) along with some of the potentially infected vaginal secretions on your hand/ fingers may possibly transmit the infection (if vaginal secretions on your hand were still wet at the time you rubbed them on to your penis).

Therefore just to be on safer side there is no harm in getting tested for these and the earliest you could do that is 3-4 weeks after the incident.

Most likely the tests would be fine.

There is no test as yet that is approved for detecting an HPV infection in males.

Till the time you have the tests I would suggest you to avoid getting sexually involved with your wife.

Regards
Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar
doctor
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Follow up: Dr. Dr. Kakkar (26 minutes later)
Thank you. What test would you recommend since there's not one for hpv and your earlier response claims chlymadia, ghonnorhea, and hiv aren't possible. If vaginal fluid was present it wouldn't have entered my urethra. I'm seriously starting to doubt any fluid was present at all.

Thanks
doctor
Answered by Dr. Dr. Kakkar (15 minutes later)
Brief Answer:
Test for syphilis and Genital herpes

Detailed Answer:
Hi XXXXXXX

I suggest test for Syphilis i.e VDRL Or RPR along with a test for Genital Herpes i.e ELISA for type 1 and type 2 HSV (IgM as well as IgG).

I seriously don't think that there would have been enough vaginal fluids to enter urethra.

The only way one gets gonorrhea or chlamydia is through unprotected peno -vaginal sex Or active anal sex Or receptive oral sex with someone who has throat gonorrhea.

Regards
Note: Consult a Sexual Diseases Specialist online for further follow up- Click here.

Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar
doctor
Answered by
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Dr. Dr. Kakkar

Dermatologist

Practicing since :2002

Answered : 9610 Questions

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Can HIV Be Contracted Through Non-penetrative Sexual Activity?

Brief Answer: Your contact seems to be relatively safe, testing would be confirmatory Detailed Answer: Hello. Thank you for writing to us I have taken note of your query and I wish to help you in that regard. Fingering is considered to be a relatively safe sexual practice if we talk in terms of risk of an STD. Human immunodeficiency virus/ HIV cannot survive outside the body for more than a few seconds. Moreover, the virus cannot enter intact skin. The same holds true for HSV/ herpes simplex virus i.e it cannot survive outside the body and dies as soon as it is exposed to air. Human papilloma virus/ HPV can survive outside the body and does not require bodily fluids for transmission. The most common route for transmission of genital Human papilloma virus/ HPV infection is through direct/ intimate sexual contact with an infected sexual partner, however, genital HPV types can very rarely transmit indirectly through infected surfaces as well i.e fingers. However, this is a hypothetical risk and has not been measured. There is a very small risk of syphilis transmitting directly through intact skin of fingers because the bacterium i.e Treponema Pallidum, can penetrate intact skin. In such cases of infection the patient would then present with an extra-genital syphilitic chancre/ sore on finger. Indirect transmission through fingers is possible in syphilis if some of vaginal secretions were present on your fingers, however, because this bacteria cannot survive outside body in dried secretions and dies quickly on drying, therefore the risk is very less. Therefore, you don't seem to be at a very obvious risk from the kind of non-sexual contact that you had. However, you may take up a test for syphilis i.e VDRL/ RPR test at 3 weeks Regards