[Question #11772] Reassurance

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12 months ago
Hi Doctors. I know this is almost certainly a silly question given past responses, but sometimes anxiety gets the better of me.
I went for a massage at a place I've visited over several years. What is weird is that normally it is a completely normal massage parlour with no extras. But this time I got a new masseuse. 

She gave me a handjob. I am less worried about this as I know from past responses this is no risk, correct? But what really threw me is that she stripped down as well. Now the thing is it was really dark in the room - I think she kept her underwear on but am not 100% sure. At one point her crotch was on my thigh and ground into my leg for a minute or two. Obviously I don't have any large cuts/wounds on my leg but did see a couple of small scratches and small scabs / pimples. I was getting paranoid about possible risks of somehow this being a risk. To clarify - there was no penetration at all. Also, given how long she has been in the country, I'm pretty sure she'd have had a negative HIV test in the last 6 months. If it makes any difference, she was Thai, probably late 30s. Am I being paranoid? Presumably no need to alter behaviour or test for anything? Zero risk? I think am panicking as it was so unexpected.
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H. Hunter Handsfield, MD
12 months ago
Welcome back; thanks for your continued confidence in our services.

Scanning your previous threads, it looks like the answers there pretty well covered your current concerns -- which you seem to know. There is nothing in this event that implies any risk at all for any STI or HIV. It doesn't matter how high the risk for HIV might be in the masseuse, her ethnicity, her age, what clothing she continued to wear (or not), or whether she was tested for HIV or if she in fact was infected. You can't catch it by the sorts of contacts you describe here.

So no worries at all and no need to be tested for HIV or any other STI.

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

HHH, MD
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