Thank you doctors for your wise counsel, patience and kindness. I think you will consider me foolish for bothering with this, but worry has overcome reason. A week ago I went for a massage for a sore back. I received the massage unclothed and face down, The female masseusse was clothed wearing a short dress and I could see her underwear at times. She massaged me the length of my body, focussing on my lower back and buttocks. At one point, she briefly touched my inner thighs and scrotum, something I didn't want. At the end, she wiped me down with a very hot towel. She then asked me to lay on my back, which I did. I watched as she sanitised her hands and asked me to hold out my hands so I could do the same. She then briefly and gently passed what I assumed was a diposal sanitised cloth over my groin area. By this time, I became alarmed at where this was heading and indicated that this was not what I wanted. I got dressed and left. On the third day after the massage, I bent over and felt like my skin tear at the top of the cleft between my buttocks. Although this was the first time I noticed it, my concern is that the tear was caused by either this  massage or a clothed one on the previous day. My worry is that if she had touched herself during the massage, she may have transferred vaginal secretions, blood or some other infected fluid from her hands into the small tear. After reading through your site, I am hoping that you will say that STIs are not transmitted in this way, that this is a no risk encounter, that I don't need testing for anything and that I should forget about it, carrying on relations as normal with my partner. Am I correct? If so, it will give me peace. 

Welcome to the forum. Thanks for your confidence in our services.---

Thank you Dr Handsfield for your considered response, which is very reassuring. (I think read a remark of yours somewhere that in all your many years of experience you have never seen an STI communicated from someone’s hand, even if that hand had secretions on it.) I think it’s wonderful that you and your colleagues are willing give advice on this forum. You have my deepest respect.

Thank you for your kind comments. I'm glad to have helped. It remains true that I am unaware of anyone ever acquiring an STI by hand-gneitla contact.---

Thanks Dr. Finally, just grappling with my irrational self, which says yes but you had a skin tear between the buttocks; to which rational me says that the doctor dealt with this, it’s a no risk encounter. Since my question, I’ve developed some cold like symptoms, sniffly, bit of a scratchy throat, occasional dry cough, headachy, tired. Rational self says, guess what? It’s a cold, nothing to do with what happened. Move on, like the dr said. Please confirm that this sounds right. Sorry to bother you again. 

Initial HIV infection (acute retroviral syndrome, ARS) doesn't cause "cold like symptoms":  no stuffy nose, congestion, or cough. Your rational self is correct.---