[Question #13679] Risk from fingering

4 hours ago

Dear Doctors,

Can I become infected with HPV if a man fingers me? Can he have HPV living on his fingers? He is a high risk MSM with hundreds of partners. What about other infections?

How to reduce the risk?

Thank you in advance and happy New Year.

Edward W. Hook M.D.

2 hours ago

Welcome back to our Forum. I note that this is your 6th question this year, most of which deal with whether or not low to no risk circumstances might lead to acquisition of viral STIs and HPV and HSV in particular. Your current question is a repeat of your initial question 12 months ago. The answer has not changed. While HPV can be detected on the fingers and under the fingernails, there is still NO evidence that HPV is transmitted or spread on a person’s fingers. There is no risk to reduce!!!

It appears that you have a misunderstanding about how STIs are transmitted. STIs are NOT transmitted through hand to genital transfer of genital secretions. Please try to put your unfounded concerns aside.

Happy New Year to you. EWH

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