[Question #12710] Fingering after period with cut in finger

6 months ago

Hello doctors,

I’ve just encountered a woman with unknown hiv status. I fingered her about 5-10 mins and i just realized after finished, she had a pantyliner. I asked her if she just got her period and she said yes. Although there’s no blood seen in my finger, im worried because there’s an open wound right on the tip of my nail prior to that. What is the chance of the infection of stds such as hiv etc? Thank you

H. Hunter Handsfield, MD

6 months ago

Welcome back to the forum. However, I am surprised you are here. Looking back at your three previous questions on the forum, you have been reassured that hand-genital contact (which includes fingering), or almost any sexual contact without penile penetration, is free of any risk for HIV or any STI. In addition, STI bacteria and viruses cannot pass through fabric; your partner's pantyliner further reduced the already near zero risk. That she was on her period also makes no difference: the amount of HIV in blood is no higher than in vaginal fluids.

So no chance of infection, no need for testing, and if you have a regular partner, you can safely continue your usual sexual practices without putting them at risk.

Let me know if anything isn't clear-- HHH, MD

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6 months ago

Thanks for the reply doctor!

Actually the finger that has cut on the tip of the nail enters her vagina also, not only fingering from outside the pants. Is it still practically zero chance? Thankyou

H. Hunter Handsfield, MD

5 months ago

I understood that the cut entered your partner's vagina. It does not change my assessment. Finger wounds are very common, so there must have been billions of fingering episodes in the presence of such problems. And still no known cases of HIV transmission by fingering. If this increases the risk, it's by only a very small amount.---

5 months ago

Hello doctor thanks for the reply. After 13 days of exposure, i have a low grade fever (37.5) and today a swollen lymph node on neck. A little bit cough and flu as well. Should i be worry about the symptoms? And what other symptoms should i be worry in the future?

Thanks doctor

H. Hunter Handsfield, MD

5 months ago

You can google things like ARS symptoms to see many sites describing them. 37.5 doesn't count as fever and a single lymph node is never ARS; and new HIV infection doesn't cause cough. Your symptoms have nothing to do with the sexual exposure; you caught a cold or similar virus. If it worsens, get tested for covid and influenza, which are hundreds of time more likely than ARS. You still don't need HIV testing. However, of course you are free to be tested anyway if the negative result will help reassure you.

That completes the two follow-up comments and replies included with each question and so ends this thread. This being your fourth forum discussion about obviously low risk events, it shouldn't be necessary to ask similar questions about similar exposures. Our replies won't change! Best wishes and stay safe.

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