[Question #11806] MPV and Massage

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12 months ago
Hello - First off, I really appreciate the service you provide.  It is so difficult to get accurate medical information online.  The service you provide is invaluable.

Here is my question - When it comes to MPV (AKA Monkey Pox), how risky is it to get a full body massage with a manual happy ending by a woman at a massage parlor.  Would you say that they risk is greater than or less than 1 in a million. 
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12 months ago
Just to clarify - a full body massage with a manual happy ending by a woman at a massage parlor in the United States.
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H. Hunter Handsfield, MD
12 months ago
Welcome to the forum. Thank you for your confidence in our services.

If the massager is infected with Mpox, the virus certainly could be transmitted. Oral sex is a less likely specific route of transmission than the massage itself. However, I've not heard any reports of Mpox being transmitted in this situation -- and because the large majority of cases in the US have occurred in men who have sex with men, the risk obviously is very low from a female partner. Also, Mpox currently is uncommon in the US; the risk might be higher in event of a new outbreak in your geographic area. (You could confirm this by contacting your local or state health department.) At present, I'm sure the risk is well under one chance in a million.

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

HHH, MD
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12 months ago
Thank you Dr. Handsfield.  So it seems like it is safe to say that in your opinion, receiving a full body massage with masturbation at this time in the US remains a relatively safe activity that does not pose a serious health threat. 
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H. Hunter Handsfield, MD
12 months ago
Of course you will be at risk of STD if the massage includes a "happy ending" by oral sex. Otherwise no significant risk.---