[Question #13848] STD risk

1 months ago

I had an encounter 2 weeks ago with a woman it was protected by at the end my condom came off? Am I at risk for an infection ?

H. Hunter Handsfield, MD

1 months ago

Welcome to the forum.

I'll try to help, but you provide very little information by which to judge your STI/HIV risk. What do you know about your partner? A friend or introduced by friends? Bar pick-up? Sex worker?

Regardless of her risk, probably your risk is very low. But please say more about the condom coming off. If the condom stayed in the vagina when you withdrew, protection probably was complete. It would be more risky if the condom came off entirely while your penis was still in her vagina, but even here it sounds like the direct exposure probably was very brief, right? Remember that even when HIV or active STIs are present, the large majority of entirely unprotected exposures do not transmit the infection.

Another good aspect is that you apparently have had no symptoms in the past two weeks -- right? If so, you can be quite sure you did not acquire gonorrhea or herpes. Chlamydia, syphilis and HIV still could be risks, but very unlikely.

All things considered, I would consider STI testing optional, so it's up to you. If you would like the reassurance of testing, you could have a urine gonorrhea/chlamydia test at any time; and blood tests for HIV and syphilis in a month (6 weeks after the event). I would not advise testing for anything else.

I hope this information is helpful. Let me know if anything isn't clear -- or, if you like, more information about your partner which might slightly change my advice.

HHH, MD

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1 months ago

A promiscuous chick she said that she was clean and got tests every two weeks. I’m pretty sure the condom came off when I withdrew and became soft

H. Hunter Handsfield, MD

1 months ago

Thanks for the additional info. As I said above, concord protection is complete if the penis withdraws from the vagina leaving the condom behind. All is well.

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1 months ago

Ok I read even if it was fully unprotected my chances of getting hiv were low. So should I wait to get tested at my doctors appointment in 4 weeks ?

H. Hunter Handsfield, MD

1 months ago

The chance any particular woman in the US -- including a "promiscuous" woman -- has HIV is very low; there's probably under one chance in a thousand she has it. Assuming she indeed is tested frequently, there is even lower chance she is infected. Even if she does have HIV, even with entirely unprotected vaginal sex, your risk of being infected would have been under one chance in 2,000. That's why testing is optional. If you do it, it's perfect timing to wait until your doctor appointment in a month or so.

That completes the two follow-up comments and replies included with each question and so ends this thread. I hope the discussion has been helpful. Best wishes and stay safe.

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