[Question #1139] STI exposure risk

97 months ago

Hi doctor, thanks for providing this service.

Two weeks ago I went to get a sensual massage which is a no-risk activity as far as I can tell. The masseuse, without my ok, decided to start to give me oral. She got a single lick in on the tip of my penis, before I was able to stop her. She did not put her mouth around it. After, she went back to using her hand.

Call it regret, call it anxiety, call it psychosis, but since that evening the tip of my penis has been just a little red and urinating has been slightly irritating. Post urination has also been slightly irritating. This literally started the same day, which makes me think that maybe it was just too rough or the oil she used irritated my urethra?

I see no bumps, pus, discharge, etc. I also realize that the timing of the irritation is probably too soon after the event to be an STI, but am not positive.

As another perhaps complicating factor, I was on 875mg, twice daily, amoxicillin, for a cold.

So, I gather that the STIs that are possible from this could be HSV-1, gonnorhea, and chlamydia. I'll outline my questions below.

I'm hoping you're going to tell me that these infections are really not realistic, or maybe even next to impossible? (Not really a question I guess)

Since there are no visible sores on my penis I worry that perhaps there could be some in my urethra?

Would the above STIs typically cause pain during urination that one would describe as significantly more painful than just irritating?

I've read from your posts that many STIs must be massaged into the skin to be transmitted. Would use of her hand following the "lick" be considered the type of massaging you refer to?

Thanks for the time. I appreciate your help.

H. Hunter Handsfield, MD

97 months ago

Welcome to the forum. Thanks for your question.

First, this was a very safe exposure. Oral sex is safe even for several minutes, to complettion -- with low risk for all STDs and zero risk for some. And the quick contact you describe is for sure zero risk.

Second, no STD starts to cause symptoms within hours of exposure; 36-48 hours is the minimum. Sympotms beginning the evening after your exposure are not possibly due to an STD from the event. Further, whenever someone suspects his or her own symptoms may have an emotional/psychological origin (as indicated by "Call it regret, call it anxiety, call it psychosis...") almost always s/he is correct. I'm quite confident your anxieties are simply inflating trivial symptoms or normal body sensations that otherwise you wouldn't notice. Same for the increased redness of the opening. I'm confident you're just looking too closely. On top of all that, taking amoxicillin probably would have prevented any oral infection that could have caused such symptoms.

It is true that HSV1 and gonorrhea (and nongonococcal urethritis) could result from oral sex, but chlamydia is almost never transmitted by oral sex. In any case, these were zero risk from this exposure. The comment about "masseged into the skin" applies only to herpes, HPV, and syphilis -- also no risks from this event.

So my advice is to move on without worry or concern. You don't need testing. If you have a regular sexual partner, you can safely continue your normal relationship without worry of transmitting anything.

I hope this has helped. Let me know if anything isn't clear.

HHH, MD

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