Dear Doctors,

Thank you for hosting this forum. I am male and visited a sex worker yesterday. She performed oral sex on me with a condom. However, I had shaved about an hour before our meeting and accidentally cut my scrotum. She sucked my scrotum, which was not covered by the condom.

I have read your replies to other posts regarding oral sex. You mentioned that receiving oral sex poses zero risk for HIV. Does this apply in my case? This was my first time visiting a sex worker, and it will be my last. I urgently need your advice.

What you read is correct. There has never been a proved case of HIV from mouth to penis. That doesn't mean it can't happen, but if it does, it is extremely rare. One calculation (by the US CDC) was that if the oral partner has HIV, the penile partner has about one chance in 20,000 of being infected. That's equivalent to receiving BJs by infected partners once daily for 55 years before infection would be likely. And that's for unprotected oral exposure; the risk is zero with a condom. In addition, oral contact with skin anywhere on the body is zero risk. That includes the skin of the scrotum, and shaving makes no difference. That's an urban myth.

So all is well. You had a 100% safe exposure. You cannot possibly have HIV or any other STD.

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

HHH, MD

Thank you, Dr. HHH.

When you mentioned that shaving makes no difference, did you notice that I not only shaved but also accidentally cut my scrotum? I caused myself to bleed, though the bleeding had stopped by the time I met the sex worker. The sex worker performed oral sex on my scrotum, so the area where I had cut myself was in her mouth. Do these details alter your assessment?

I apologize for repeating myself, but I want to ensure you fully understand my situation. Thank you again for your assistance.

In the 20 years of this forum and our preceding one, with thousand of questions from persons worried about a possible HIV exposure, nobody has yet turned out to be positive for HIV. You won't be the first. If and when it finally happens, it will be from a genuine high risk exposure and not something like you experienced. This event was little more risky than shaking hands with someone.

Thank you for your reply.

I forgot to mention that I sucked and bit the sex worker's breasts and nipples. Does this pose a risk for HIV transmission? What if there were skin cuts on her breasts and nipples that I didn't notice?

Thank you very much for your help.

That concludes this thread. Thanks for the thanks -- I'm glad to have helped.