[Question #11457] sti from massage
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14 months ago
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Dear doctor, I had a massage at a beauty salon and wore my Y front underpants to cover my genitals and scrotum. However, the masseuse rubber her fingers and hands over my groin area and all over my inner thighs. At no point did the woman touch her own genitals; at no point did she touch my UNCOVERED genitals (due to the pants) or my anus. She did however rub quite firmly on the inner thigh and down to the outer corner of the pubic area ie where the lining of the pant and thigh meet. I have had no lesions on my penis; no pain urinating etc but have annoyingly got a single large boil / folliculitis outbreak where her hand rubbed right in the corner of my inner thigh. Is this a cause for concern re an STI? My main specific concern is not HIV or Chlymadia but those google-related queries which say "you can catch STIs from skin to skin contact." Do these really mean genital to genital and not hand to skin on the leg or thigh or groin area (as opposed to genitals). In summary, is this a zero risk for all STIs?
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Edward W. Hook M.D.
14 months ago
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Welcome to our forum and thanks for your implied confidence in our service. I’ll be glad to comment. Let me start by suggesting that looking for health related information on Google is likely to mislead you. Much of what can be found there is incorrect either because it is taken out of context, because it is out of date, because it is misinterpretation of other information, or because it is just plain wrong.
The events that you describe are no risk events for acquisition of any STI. The CDC, the WHO, and experts, all agree that there is no risk of acquiring STI the sort of massage you received, nor are STI‘s ever transmitted through clothing, even if that clothing becomes wet with genital secretions. While vigorous rubbing can cause abrasions, which might lead to skin infections, these are not STI. The boil that you described is occurring in the location. We’re such skin lesions, unrelated to sexual activity, are common.
Nothing in the information that you’ve provided suggests any need whatsoever for concern about STI’s. There is no scientific or medical reason for STI testing related to either the boil that you describe or from the contact that you’ve described. Please don’t worry. EWH.
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14 months ago
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Thank you for your excellent reply
There was one typo I deduced to mean a boil or folliculitis post massage is an sti. Noted.
Briefly to finally blow out this candle
A) even if the woman had some sort of lesion on her hands ( note: she did wash her hands before the massage) the chances of an sti being transferred to regular skin eg on the groin area as per above the chances of this happening are close to zero? Right. Or frankly zero!
B)I think the confusion here for me always arises between the term skin to skin and the fact these stis need mucous membranes to enter into the bloodstream. Noted re Google
C) is augmentin a good treatment for some stis generally? I’m on it for the boil which is rather sore and angry!
Thanks for the reassurance. I’m glad I wore my pants or would be in a really anxious state ( albeit I accept no stis even transmit via hand jobs in reality !!)
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Edward W. Hook M.D.
14 months ago
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Boils and folliculitis which occur following sexual encounters are not considered STIs
1. I would estimate the risk of infection, even in the unlikely circumstance that she had a lesion on her hands or fingers, as effectively being zero.
2. I agree with you that this can be confusing. Certain infections, however, are transmitted through skin to skin infections. These infections include herpes and syphilis. Having acknowledged that theoretical risk, these infections are virtually never transmitted through the sort of massage that you have described.
3. Augmentin would cure some gonorrhea, would prevent any risk for syphilis. And has modest activity against chlamydia. Most importantly, however, it is effective for the bacteria which caused boils.
EWH
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14 months ago
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thank you for your reassurance. So to summarise a)a massage where a fully clothed woman rubs a man with y fronts on after having washed her hands + b)the massage involved rubbing over the groin/genitals of the Y-fronted man c)rubbing of the inner thighs is a zero risk scenario because no exchange of fluids; no oral/anal/vaginal sex; no hand to genital touching (y fronts covered) and no visible lesions or open wounds on hands. And augmentin 625x3 per day would probably help with any .0000000001% risk. I can hopefull now move on! ps it is just so annoying i got the boil 5 days post massage as it is the thing that triggered my fears.
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Edward W. Hook M.D.
14 months ago
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I agree with your summary. This will complete this thread which will be closed shortly. Please don't worry. EWH---