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Can HIV Spread Through Non Penetrative Intercourse?
Question: Hi, this question is for a physician specializing in HIV or contagious diseases. If you aren't sure of the answer, if you could you please consult a specialist in this field before getting back to me it would be much appreciated.
Scenario 1:
I was fingering a girl who I would consider low-risk, then we finished fooling around and she left. Approximately 10 minutes later my ex-girlfriend happened to show up and we fooled around as well. I'm not sure, but I believe I fingered my ex-girlfriend too. I have tested negative for HIV since then, but I was wondering if HIV could be spread from the first girl to the second in this scenario? Could HIV have gotten under my fingernail and passed from one person to another in that time?
Also, this was 3-4 years ago, and the second girl I had had unprotected sex with multiple times back then, so if anything she should have gotten tested for the unprotected sex since then; but I was wondering if I should notify her of that incident 3-4 years ago now so she knows she could have potentially been at that risk from that as well as having unprotected with me back then?
Scenario 2:
I get annual HIV tests, all of which have been negative, but remain sexually active throughout the year. Should I be concerned with masterbating in my room in a shared household for potentially passing HIV to others? For example, say after I finish masterbating I go to the bathroom and some small amount of residual semen on my hand gets on the doorknob; could HIV realistically be passed in this way or am I worrying excessively?
What precautions should I take, if any, while masterbating in a shared household? Could HIV ever be passed from this?
Thanks,
XXXX
Scenario 1:
I was fingering a girl who I would consider low-risk, then we finished fooling around and she left. Approximately 10 minutes later my ex-girlfriend happened to show up and we fooled around as well. I'm not sure, but I believe I fingered my ex-girlfriend too. I have tested negative for HIV since then, but I was wondering if HIV could be spread from the first girl to the second in this scenario? Could HIV have gotten under my fingernail and passed from one person to another in that time?
Also, this was 3-4 years ago, and the second girl I had had unprotected sex with multiple times back then, so if anything she should have gotten tested for the unprotected sex since then; but I was wondering if I should notify her of that incident 3-4 years ago now so she knows she could have potentially been at that risk from that as well as having unprotected with me back then?
Scenario 2:
I get annual HIV tests, all of which have been negative, but remain sexually active throughout the year. Should I be concerned with masterbating in my room in a shared household for potentially passing HIV to others? For example, say after I finish masterbating I go to the bathroom and some small amount of residual semen on my hand gets on the doorknob; could HIV realistically be passed in this way or am I worrying excessively?
What precautions should I take, if any, while masterbating in a shared household? Could HIV ever be passed from this?
Thanks,
XXXX
Brief Answer:
Theoretical risk in 1 and no risk in second scenario
Detailed Answer:
Thanks for your question. I am Dr Matin and will be answering your queries.
Scenario 1
There is a very small risk of getting HIV from 'digital stimulation' of ' your partner if you have cuts or sores on your fingers and your partners in this case have had cuts or sores in their rectum or vagina. HIV transmission this way is technically possible but unlikely and not well documented.
So a theoretical risk of infection by fingering women remains (as vaginal fluids can carry HIV) but the virus would need to enter into your blood stream in order for you to become infected and which in your scenario looks unlikely .
It is an old event still it is always helpful to talk about the potential risks with your partners and knowing one's HIV status definitely helps to protect oneself and others from the risks of the disease.
Scenario 2
Masturbation is a zero risk activity as HIV is not an easy virus to pass from one person to another. It is a fragile organism, and dies within seconds once it comes into contact with environment .So no worries over there and you said that you are an HIV negative person as per your annual tests .To have HIV transmitted , first you need HIV infected person to shed 'virus and then it has to enter somebody's blood stream though sex, need;es , body fluids .
As you remain sexually active whole year , so a word of advice here - so make sure that you 'condom' every sexual activity of yours as people all over the world have primarily been infected by unprotected vaginal and anal intercourse.
Hope this helps.
Theoretical risk in 1 and no risk in second scenario
Detailed Answer:
Thanks for your question. I am Dr Matin and will be answering your queries.
Scenario 1
There is a very small risk of getting HIV from 'digital stimulation' of ' your partner if you have cuts or sores on your fingers and your partners in this case have had cuts or sores in their rectum or vagina. HIV transmission this way is technically possible but unlikely and not well documented.
So a theoretical risk of infection by fingering women remains (as vaginal fluids can carry HIV) but the virus would need to enter into your blood stream in order for you to become infected and which in your scenario looks unlikely .
It is an old event still it is always helpful to talk about the potential risks with your partners and knowing one's HIV status definitely helps to protect oneself and others from the risks of the disease.
Scenario 2
Masturbation is a zero risk activity as HIV is not an easy virus to pass from one person to another. It is a fragile organism, and dies within seconds once it comes into contact with environment .So no worries over there and you said that you are an HIV negative person as per your annual tests .To have HIV transmitted , first you need HIV infected person to shed 'virus and then it has to enter somebody's blood stream though sex, need;es , body fluids .
As you remain sexually active whole year , so a word of advice here - so make sure that you 'condom' every sexual activity of yours as people all over the world have primarily been infected by unprotected vaginal and anal intercourse.
Hope this helps.
Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Shanthi.E
Hi Dr. XXXXXXX
Perhaps there was some confusion about scenario 1. In scenario 1 I am not concerned for HIV risk to myself or from myself to either the 1st girl or the 2nd girl. I am concerned that HIV vaginal fluids from the 1st girl could have survived approximately 10-20 minutes outside of the body on my finger, and then after this 10-20 minute window I fingered the 2nd girl and thus, could have passed HIV from the 1st girl to the 2nd girl in this way.
As I already had unprotected sex with the 2nd girl multiple times anyways, I was wondering if I had a responsibility to tell her about this additional risk in this scenario; given that she did not know that I had fingered the 1st girl 10-20 minutes prior to fingering her. But, keep in mind that I already had unprotected sex with the 2nd girl many times which is a risk for HIV, so if anything she should have been tested for that experience. Do you think there is enough theoretical risk in this scenario to warrant telling her about it given that she is already at risk from having unprotected sex with me in the first place?
But as far as risk from me, there is none for her. As this was years ago and I have tested negative several times since then.
Scenario 2
For this scenario, it seems to be the consensus that HIV cannot survive outside the body. But I also came across this site: http://www.aidsmap.com/Survival-outside-the-body/page/0000/
which states that "In certain conditions, the virus can survive outside the body for several weeks". Is it still your opinion that HIV cannot ever realistically be passed through semen that may be in the environment from masterbation activities?
Thanks for your thoughtful response,
XXXX
Perhaps there was some confusion about scenario 1. In scenario 1 I am not concerned for HIV risk to myself or from myself to either the 1st girl or the 2nd girl. I am concerned that HIV vaginal fluids from the 1st girl could have survived approximately 10-20 minutes outside of the body on my finger, and then after this 10-20 minute window I fingered the 2nd girl and thus, could have passed HIV from the 1st girl to the 2nd girl in this way.
As I already had unprotected sex with the 2nd girl multiple times anyways, I was wondering if I had a responsibility to tell her about this additional risk in this scenario; given that she did not know that I had fingered the 1st girl 10-20 minutes prior to fingering her. But, keep in mind that I already had unprotected sex with the 2nd girl many times which is a risk for HIV, so if anything she should have been tested for that experience. Do you think there is enough theoretical risk in this scenario to warrant telling her about it given that she is already at risk from having unprotected sex with me in the first place?
But as far as risk from me, there is none for her. As this was years ago and I have tested negative several times since then.
Scenario 2
For this scenario, it seems to be the consensus that HIV cannot survive outside the body. But I also came across this site: http://www.aidsmap.com/Survival-outside-the-body/page/0000/
which states that "In certain conditions, the virus can survive outside the body for several weeks". Is it still your opinion that HIV cannot ever realistically be passed through semen that may be in the environment from masterbation activities?
Thanks for your thoughtful response,
XXXX
Brief Answer:
HIV can't survive outside body
Detailed Answer:
Thanks for your response.
1. I have answered that HIV does not survive for more than few seconds outside the body fluids and there could be exceptions about which you are talking about of its survival for few weeks .
In that specified time line of 15- 20 minutes for a possible stay over your fingers,,the virus
( if at all it was there , as we are not sure of HIV status of either women ?) in that vaginal fluid would have died already and the probability of spreading to 2nd woman becomes low ( but not zero ).
I guess, there was no confusion over there and I had replied in affirmation about communicating one's status/behavior to their partners and still maintain that one should always keep on talking to their sexual partners about the potential risks of not only HIV but also other communicable diseases too so that both partners can remain free from infection. Then in this scenario the risk is very minimal" though not zero and it does not undermine the importance of communication in spite of the fact that you have had sex with that woman for multiple times
One can never be sure of the modalitiy of successful transmission of HIV and one can have sex in any number of ways with the same partner -oral/penetrative vaginal/anal /digital stimulation.
2. It has been answered as in above . Besides all over the world ,there has no case been reported (epidemiological evidence 'too) of having spread though this modality ( survival of virus outside the body for more time and infecting any one)
Hope it helps.
Regards
HIV can't survive outside body
Detailed Answer:
Thanks for your response.
1. I have answered that HIV does not survive for more than few seconds outside the body fluids and there could be exceptions about which you are talking about of its survival for few weeks .
In that specified time line of 15- 20 minutes for a possible stay over your fingers,,the virus
( if at all it was there , as we are not sure of HIV status of either women ?) in that vaginal fluid would have died already and the probability of spreading to 2nd woman becomes low ( but not zero ).
I guess, there was no confusion over there and I had replied in affirmation about communicating one's status/behavior to their partners and still maintain that one should always keep on talking to their sexual partners about the potential risks of not only HIV but also other communicable diseases too so that both partners can remain free from infection. Then in this scenario the risk is very minimal" though not zero and it does not undermine the importance of communication in spite of the fact that you have had sex with that woman for multiple times
One can never be sure of the modalitiy of successful transmission of HIV and one can have sex in any number of ways with the same partner -oral/penetrative vaginal/anal /digital stimulation.
2. It has been answered as in above . Besides all over the world ,there has no case been reported (epidemiological evidence 'too) of having spread though this modality ( survival of virus outside the body for more time and infecting any one)
Hope it helps.
Regards
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Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Prasad
Answered by
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