I have been single 12 months and dated 2 women in that time. There has been zero intercourse or oral sex.

I did not know the HIV status of either as intercourse and oral sex never happened, therefore I did not see a need to ask.

Only activities were:

A) open mouth French kissing; and

B) fingering

I noticed a scratch on my arm that had scabbed over. I picked at it, which caused it to bleed for a while.

I had also briefly put my finger in my nostril to clear a booger just before.

My worry is that I had been touching communal door handles in my building and on public transport a few minutes before. I am worried that I did not wash my hands before doing this, and the possibility of secretions being on my fingers when I touched the bleeding scab and/or in my nostril.

The nurse at my local clinic has advised that deep (French) kissing and fingering are both no risk for HIV, even if the partner was positive.

She also said that HIV is not spread on fingers - only by A) unprotected intercourse, B) shared syringes; and C) blood transfusions.

Please can you help me? Is everything all good like my nurse has said and can I move on without any HIV concern?

Thanks in advance.

The nurse at your local clinic is exactly right. Neither HIV nor others STIs are transmitted by kissing or fingering, or other kinds of hand-genital contact. Even oral sex is little or no risk for HIV and very low risk for other STIs. The very large majority of infections sexually acquired HIV/STI infections result from unprotected vaginal or anal sex (i.e. with penile penetration). You say nothing about your two partners so it isn't possible to assess the chance either of them might have had a transmissible STI. But even if they did, you were not at risk. The scratch on your arm makes no difference, even if it was bleeding at the time of contact.

My advice is the same as the nurse's:  You definitely can "move on without any HIV concern" -- and without testing.

Best wishes and stay safe--  HHH, MD

I met one of the dates at a bar and the other on a dating app. Neither of them are sex workers, but I have no idea if they had sex with anyone in the lead up to our dates. I do not know if either had cuts in their mouth.

So am I right that (as an adult), without penile penetration into a partners vagina, rectum or mouth; or injection of material into tissue via needles, I will NEVER catch HIV?

There is no risk of HIV from touching items in the environment and then picking your nostril, a spot or scab?

Aka: get a grip, everything is fine, I’m in the clear for HIV?

I appreciate that this will be my last post. Thank you for providing this service.

Best regards

Yes, "everything is fine [and you're] in the clear for HIV."