Thank you for your useful website.

1- I had protected vaginal sex using condoms 100 percent of the times with my partners. If during the intercourse, the vaginal secretions enters HSV sores even if there are healed in pubic area and scrotum (areas not covered by condom) , how much is risk of catching HIV?

2- I attended a bachelor party in strip club. I had my underwear and thin sport pant. The striper gave me lapdance and she was fully naked. I noticed that tip of my penis(urethra) was touching her wet vagina. During the lapdance, she was definitely touching my pubic area with her vagina. We know that there are always small holes in fabric and they are not %100 sealed. Is it possible to catch hiv if the secretions enters through those holes in fabric and reach urethra or HSV lesions? 

I appreciate your help

It is true that having HSV2 raises the risk of catching HIV if sexually exposed. However, that association was found in studies done almost entirely in Africa. It probably applies elsewhere, but it really isn't certain. Most important, it only doubles the risk. "Double" sounds like a big deal, but really is not. For example, CDC has published an estimate that the risk of HIV from unprotected vaginal sex is about 1 in 1,000 for the woman if the male has HIV; and about 1 in 2,500 for the male if his female partner is infected. Double those risks raises the chance to 1 in 500 and 1 in 1,250 -- i.e. still very low risk.

As for your particular situation, my first question is whether you have been diagnosed with HSV2. If so, what's the full story? Genital herpes with recurrent outbreaks? Lab test results showing HSV2 as the cause? Or only a positive blood test with no symptoms? Or none of these?

To your specific questions:

1. Assuming you do have HSV2, the first consideration is whether your female partners have HIV. Probably not -- on average under one in a thousand random sexually active women has the virus. And condoms reduce that risk by 99%. All this amounts to essentially zero risk even in the presence of an HSV2 infection. As for the HIV and vaginal secretions "entering HSV sores", that has nothing to do with it. Although the exact mechanisms of increased risk from HSV2 are not known, a herpes outbreak need not be present. Just having a confirmed positive blood test for HSV2 raises the HIV risk, whether or not there are herpes outbreaks at the time of exposure.

2. HIV and other STI bacteria and viruses cannot penetrate cloth. The fibers filter them out. Almost certainly nobody has ever caught HIV by sexual contact while clothed, or when clothing, textiles, etc were present during genital contact -- even if those materials were wet with genital fluids. You were not at risk for HIV, even if the stripper has HIV -- which probably she does not. Whether or not you have HSV2 probably makes no difference in this. 

I hope these comments are helpful. Let me know if anything isn't clear. And feel free to let me know more about your herpes situation if you would like to do so.

HHH, MD

Just one more question. Some HSV lesions are not gonna be covered by condoms such as those located in pubic area or scrotum. 

During sex the vaginal secretions sometimes can touch that area . Personally I noticed that pubic area gets wet too. Those secretions increase the risk of catching hiv or no? 

Some people they say those secretions are not even infectious in regards to HIV 

Thank you again and gave a great weekend