[Question #11198] Transmission
16 months ago
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Dear doctors.
A few weeks ago I had a naked massage. The act was protected oral, which I'm not concerned about, the other was not so much an act, but its bothered me since. Throughout most of the massage there was only contact with her hands, towards the end she sat on my lower abdomen. She sat on my penis, which was flaccid, so no penetration took place, I'm not sure if it was under her thigh or in direct contact with her genitals, if it were the latter, what are my realistic risks for hepatitis b, hiv and syphilis? No rubbing took place as it wasn't intentional, it was probably there for 10 or 20 seconds. I'm just worried because I've had pain in my liver for a while. I know the chances are probably zero, I just need some professional reassurance.
16 months ago
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Was there a reply to this?
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H. Hunter Handsfield, MD
16 months ago
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Welcome to the forum.
This question is very similar to the one immediately before it (no. 11197). Without penile penetration, there was no risk for those STIs transmitted by body fluids, such as HIV, gonorrhea, chlamydia, and hepatitis B and C. There might have been small risk for those transmitted by sexual skin-to-skin contact, such as herpes, syphilis and HPV. However, even for these, the risk was extremely low. You really needn't be worried, and I would advise against testing for anything.
I hope these comments address your concerns. Let me know if anything isn't clear.
HHH, MD
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16 months ago
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That has indeed put my mind at rest. It's just there's so much information out there that it can take you down a rabbit hole. My worry mainly came from possible exposure to secretions entering a microcut. Some sites say for example, hepatitis is easy to transmit in fluids, HIV requires penetrative sex etc. It's either fear inducing or incredibly vague. But thank you for your advice.
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H. Hunter Handsfield, MD
16 months ago
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You're welcome. You can reduce inflammatory or misleading information by limiting online searching about medical issues -- HIV or other topics -- to professionally run websites (e.g. public health, academic medical centers) or professionally moderated (like this one), and avoiding sites run by and for people with or at risk for the problem (like Reddit, for example). Anybody can say anything they want online -- often naively overstating risks, or intentionally misleading. (But your statement of course is correct that HIV transmission does require penetrative sex. Probably you meant non-penetrative.)---
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16 months ago
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Sorry it was indeed a typo. Once again thank you for your reassurance. A throw away question if I may? Why, when it comes to low risk or no risk activities do online health sites and even forums dedicated to sufferers of particular STI's, promote incorrect or misleading info? Just perusing one website whereby a microbiologist claimed you can get hepatitis from a handjob. However most doctors as well as yourselves say its a no risk activity.
But once again many thanks for your service!
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H. Hunter Handsfield, MD
16 months ago
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Anybody can say anything they want on the internet; and not all physicians are up to speed on the details. (That's one reason there are STD specialists in the world!) You'll reduce the risk and frequency of misleading information if you limit searching about STDs to professionally run sites (e.g. health departments, academic medical sources, etc) or at least those that are professionally moderated, like this one; and avoid sites by and for people with particular interest (i.e. anxieties!) about them -- like Reddit, for example.
Also, don't mistake potential and theoretical possibilities with actual real world risks. For example, "blood contact" is always listed as an HIV risk, but that doesn't mean that minor, trivial contact with blood carries significant risk. It usually does not.
That completes the two follow-up exchanges included with each question and so ends this thread. Thanks for the thanks-- that's why we're here.
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