[Question #13997] HIV/STI risk from environmental contact and solo masturbation
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4 days ago
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Hi Doctor, I may be overthinking this. This has troubled me for 2 days and affected my sleep, though I never worried before.
My wife and I are monogamous >1 year and both tested negative for all STIs last month, and are currently trying to have a baby.
2 days ago, I touched my apartment door handle, then ~10 minutes later had solo masturbation in my car ( car had not been used for ~19 hours, cleaned and vacuumed by a worker the previous day). I did not wash my hands before touching the condom or my genitals. ( I sometimes use a condom even during solo masturbation.) My hand touched the condom ring, and the ring then contacted the glans, mucosal surface. Absolutely no partner contact (solo only). I checked the condom afterward and saw no visible blood, but I'm concerned about possible unseen body fluids contamination from the touched environment surfaces earlier.
At other times, after touching phone, keyboard, wallet, keys, clothing or shoes, I may masturbate with repeated contact to the glans mucosa or have sex with my wife shortly after (even within seconds after touching surfaces) without washing hands.
Questions:
1. Even if the surfaces were contaminated, do these indirect contacts (door handle/car surfaces/phone/clothing > hand/condom ring > glans/vagina mucosa) pose any HIV/STI risk? Any testing needed?
2. Even if the surfaces were contaminated, does the time interval between touching surfaces and then the genital mucosa (seconds vs minutes vs longer) make any difference for HIV/STI risk?
3. In this situation, does touching the genital mucosa without prior handwashing pose any HIV/STI risk?
4. Safe to continue unprotected sex with wife to have a baby?
THANKS!
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4 days ago
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Just to add one detail to my previous question:
When I was about to touch my apartment door handle, I saw a person wiping the lower part of the door with a cloth. I’m not sure what exactly they were doing—my initial impression was that they were cleaning, but later I wondered if they might have been wiping something else.
Does this additional detail change your assessment in any way?
Thank you.
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Edward W. Hook M.D.
4 days ago
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Welcome to our Forum and thanks for your questions, as well as your implied confidence in our service. None of the activities you describe put you at risk for any STI. Masturbation, even mutual masturbation with another partner in situations where the partner's genital secretions get on you are associated with any risk for STI, including HIV. Further STIs are not transmitted from person to person through transfer if infection from inanimate objects or on the hands. There is no reasons for concern related to the activities you describe an no scientific need for testing. In response to your specific questions:
1. Even if the surfaces were contaminated, do these indirect contacts (door handle/car surfaces/phone/clothing > hand/condom ring > glans/vagina mucosa) pose any HIV/STI risk? Any testing needed?
No risk and no need for testing as explained above.
2. Even if the surfaces were contaminated, does the time interval between touching surfaces and then the genital mucosa (seconds vs minutes vs longer) make any difference for HIV/STI risk?
Even if the contact was immediate, there would be no risk. The time interval is not an issue.
3. In this situation, does touching the genital mucosa without prior handwashing pose any HIV/STI risk?
Absolutely not.
4. Safe to continue unprotected sex with wife to have a baby
Yes.
I hope that this information is helpful. Please don't worry. EWH
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3 days ago
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Hi Dr Hook, thank you for your clear and reassuring reply.
Just to confirm my understanding:
indirect contact via environmental surfaces or hands- even if contaminated (surface > hand/inanimate object > genital mucosa), and even without handwashing - does not transmit HIV or other STIs, and no testing is needed.
Therefore, infection in this situation is impossible and our negative test status from last month remains unchanged. Correct?
A minor detail: I also used a tissue from my car (even if it had been contaminated, though it was untouched for 9 days) to wipe my genitals - this would also carry no risk, correct?
Also, I noticed there might be a small typo- did you mean "are not associated with any risk" and "transfer of infection" instead of "if"?
Just to clarify, does "get on you" include contact with genital mucosa (e.g., the glans)?
Lastly, I may have misunderstood something I heard from a local STI clinic doctor (Malaysia), who suggested that fluids on the hands (e.g., under fingernails or if hands are not thoroughly washed) could be transferred to another person and cause bacterial STIs. Is this considered a realistic transmission route, or is it generally limited to direct sexual contact and not applicable to indirect environmental situations like this?
Also, are there any documented or even suspected cases of HIV or STI transmission through this type of indirect contact via environmental surfaces or hands?
Thank you again for your time and guidance! Really appreciate!
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Edward W. Hook M.D.
3 days ago
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Thanks for your follow up information and questions. Your summary statement is entirely correct. In response to your specific questions.:
Using the tissue from your car does not involve any risk of acquisition of STI.
My apologies for the two typos that you mentioned. You are correct. They are typographical errors.
You are also correct that contact with genital mucosa in the manner that you describe is still a no risk event.
The healthcare provider in Malaysia, who you spoke with is misinformed.
No, there are no instances of STI transmission through the sources of indirect contact discussed above
You have one follow up remaining.EWH
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3 days ago
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Thank you again, Dr. Hook!
I understand my own environmental/solo masturbation, including genital mucosa contact, is still a no-risk event now.
However, just out of curiosity , since you mentioned mutual masturbation in your original reply, I was wondering whether in this statement:
“Masturbation, even mutual masturbation with another partner in situations where the partner's genital secretions get on you are not associated with any risk for STI, including HIV.”
whether if “get on you” also includes genital mucosa contact (e.g., the glans) in this statement? and whether if that mutual masturbation would still remain a no-risk event?
Also, if possible, could you give some general advice for my wife and me on preventing HIV/STIs in everyday life?
Lastly, based on everything discussed above, is it correct that I can completely move on from this and stop worrying, since this was just simply a private personal event and not an HIV/STI exposure event?
Thank you again for your patience and guidance!
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Edward W. Hook M.D.
3 days ago
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Yes, my comment about mutual masturbation does include genital mucosa.
You and your wife will not be at risk for HIV if you do not have sex with others and do not share needles with other people. If you have sex with others, then safe sex will dramatically reduce your risk.
I encourage you to move on without concern. As you know this will be the last reply as part of this thread which will now be closed. EWH
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