[Question #11057] Nipples

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17 months ago
I had an encounter with a sex worker. She sucked and bit my nipples for a very long time, making them sore. However, I didn't notice any cuts, nor did I see that the skin on my nipples was broken. This was all that happened.

Assuming she caused cuts on my nipples by biting them, should I be concerned about HIV? Can I move on without getting tested?
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H. Hunter Handsfield, MD
17 months ago
Welcome to the forum. Thanks for your confidence in our services.

The only STD (or STD-like) infection that could result is herpes due to HSV1. Indeed, once I had a patient (nearly 50 years ago) who acquired HSV1 of his nipples following an exposure like yours; his partner had an obvious outbreak of oral herpes at the time of the sexual exposure. However, that's the only case I have ever known about, and no other such cases have been reported in the medical literature. The chance it happened to you is probably under one in a million. No other STD is likely from this event, and certainly HIV isn't a risk. HIV is almost never transmitted by oral contact of any kind. Even oral sex on your penis would have been zero risk, even if your partner has HIV. And although some online sources and others claim biting can transmit HIV, it's actually never been known to have happened.

I recommend against testing for HIV or anything else, and would advise you to continue sex with your regular partner, if you have one.

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

HHH, MD
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