Hello Doctors,

I wanted to reach out regarding an encounter I recently had!

 I went to a massage parlor and indulged in mutual masturbation! The masseuse gave me a hand job and was also fingering herself. At one point she used the same hand she was fingering with to stroke me. I’m sure it was full of her vaginal fluids. 

After finishing off, she wiped me off with a towel. I came home and took a shower!

With this encounter, what’s my risk of catching HIV and other STIs? If there’s HIV risk, I will head to the er quickly as it’s already been 50 hours since this exposure. Thank you so much! 

You shouldn't be worried at all. HIV has never been known to be transmitted by hand-genital contact, even with vaginal fluids as lubricant. The risk of other STIs also is zero for all practical purpose, with no known cases. For HIV, even unprotected vaginal sex for several minutes with an infected female partner has an estimated transmission risk of under one chance in 2,000. And statistically, it is unlike the masseuse has HIV. I advise against even being tested for HIV or any other infection and certainly would not suggest an ER visit for post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP with anti-HIV drug) or anything else. Personally, if somehow I were in your situation, I would do nothing.

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

HHH, MD

A basic point is that STDs are hard to transmit, in this sense:  the bacteria and viruses that evolved in a way that requires large numbers of them to be exposued to internal or otherwise "hidden" sites, and often to be massaged into the tissues. For the most part they die quickly on exposure to air or to drying. Not enough of them can be carried on the hands, even in vaginal fluids, to transmit infection. There may be rare exceptions, but they are truly so rare the possibility always can be ignored. For the same reasons, STIs are not caught by sitting on toilets contaminated with an infected person's body fluids, or in households Evan after years of infected and uninfected persons sharing towels, toilets, eating utensils, and the like.

This brings me a lot of comfort and confidence to move forward with my life without worrying!