[Question #10216] Risky scenario

24 months ago

Hi Doctor,

24 months ago

I went to a 24hr spa where I received a blowjob after a brief massage from a Mexican CSW woman who spoke little to no English. She retrieved a condom that was already removed from the packing and stored with other condoms in a container.

1. If the condom were intact, would it being expired impact it's utility?

2. Am I being paranoid that they would ever try cleaning/reusing condoms?

24 months ago

3. She put the condom on me by first pushing the center of it with her tongue , to I guess unroll it a little bit, and then put it between her lips to hold it on to my penis while then rolling it down using her hand. Is the part of her tongue touching the center of the condom and then placing it on the tip of my penis any risk of STI like HIV? I'm worried that the part her tongue touched was the inner condom that would directly be against my penis opening.

24 months ago

4. She was quite aggressive in performing the oral sex which lasted about 5 minutes and I'm worried the friction could have caused a tear. Before removing the condom I did notice that the tip was filled with my ejaculate, is that a good indicator that it held through?

24 months ago

5. what if the parts of the condom on the shaft had torn/broken without me noticing, is it even possible that her saliva and anything from her mouth could have gotten in through a break in the shaft?

24 months ago

If we take all of those factors from 1-5 in combination, would that warrant any concern in your eyes? Old condom, expired condom, her tongue touching the inner condom, the friction of her mouth causing a tear in the shaft and allowing her saliva in.

24 months ago

I'm really sorry for the multiple question threads. I just realized I did it incorrectly and should have combined all of them. I'm just anxious because I went to a seedy spot (thinking with my penis) and I'm naturally assuming the worst with respect to STI's live HIV. I know it's asking a lot of you professionals but if you could address each numbered point I made I would be eternally grateful.

H. Hunter Handsfield, MD

24 months ago

Welcome. Thanks for your confidence in our services.

For all intents and purposes, this was a risk free exposure. It is very unlikely you acquired HIV or any STI. Assuming you continue without symptoms, I don't advise testing.

Your comments and questions about condoms reveal some misunderstandings. First, there is no such thing as infection risk because fluids, bacteria or viruses penetrate small defects or pores. Second, cheap condoms or aging ones (or those beyond their expiration date) are no less safe, except that they increase the risk of breakage. But if a condom doesn't split wide open during sex, protection is complete. Third, it is entirely normal for condoms to roll down the penis and often for the penis to slide within the condom during use. As a result, a partner's sexual fluids usually contact the skin of the penile shaft. In general, this doesn't seriously raise the risk of infection: if the head of the penis and meatus (urethral opening) are covered, protection is complete. However, skin contact above the condom is the reason condoms are less protective against the STIs transmitted skin-to-skin (herpes, HPV, syphilis) than those transmitted by genital fluids (gonorrhea, chlamydia, HIV).

Those comments cover most of your questions, but to be explicit to avoid any misunderstanding:

1. Yes: An intact condom provided maximum protection regardless of expiration date.

2. As far as we know, and from a common sense standpoint, sex workers do not re-use condoms. Why would they do it? To save a dollar when being paid $100, $500 or more? And going through the time and inconvenience of cleaning and then drying them? It really makes no sense and probably is exceedingly rare if it occurs at all.

3,5. I wouldn't worry at all about applying condoms in this manner. Contact of tongue or saliva with the penis is little or no risk for any infection. Even with no condom, oral sex is virtually zero risk for HIV. There has never been a scientifically proved case of HIV transmitted mouth to penis. For the same reasons, contact of saliva with the inside of the condom or with your penis really doesn't matter.

4. If the condom retained your semen, you can be confident it didn't have any significant defects, tears, etc.

I hope these comments are helpful. Let me know if anything isn't clear.

HHH, MD

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24 months ago

Hi Doctor Handsfield,

Thank you for your thorough response. In summary, regardless of the age of the condom, the fact that it was intact which was evidenced by me not noticing any leakage at the top portion covering my penis and being that I could clearly see my semen filled in the tip should alleviate any and all concerns that it was compromised.

And as a result of that, even if the CSW was infected, the chances of contracting HIV via oral sex unprotected is already less than 1% and would be even less likely with the condom in place regardless if there were small defects on the condom around the shaft area as long as the tip was intact --which by the way if the tip was compromised would be clearly visible. This would not change even with her tongue touching the inside of the condom prior to putting it on my penis.

In short, I should not get tested and move on with my life. Yes, there are negligible chances of other STI's like herpes and etc but for HIV I should just forget about it. have I incorrectly summarized anything above?

H. Hunter Handsfield, MD

24 months ago

All correct. I'm glad my comments were clear and you understood them.---