[Question #279] Sorry
105 months ago
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Edward W. Hook M.D.
105 months ago
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Thanks for your respect for our guidelines. Just to be clear, if need be, there can be up to two FOLLOWUP clarifications/questions so you may seek two further clarifications after reading this response (although I hope it will not be necessary) being away form home and family is difficult and I can understand issues relating to your temptations. Having said that, the interactions you describe are no risk AT ALL for any STI other than the VERY, VERY, VERY low risk for acquiring HSV-1, the virus that causes cold sores from a kiss. If you already get cold sores, then there is no risk at all for any STI at all - none at all.
Are no STIs, including HIV that are transmitted by kissing or touching through clothing- absolutely none. You have absolutely no reason for concern going forward and have no need at all for testing of any sort. If you simply must test, you can have absolute confidence in a 4th generation (combination HIV antigen/antibody) HIV test performed 4 weeks after the exposure that worries you. Testing for gonorrhea, chlamydia is accurate within days of exposure and syphilis tests would be accurate at 4 weeks (i.e. the same time as the HIV test). I want to emphasize however that with the exposures you have described, testing is really throwing money away. We recommend against blood tests for herpes- they are often misleading because of false positives or detection of longstanding infections that the infected person was not aware of previously.
I hope these comments will help you go forward without further concern. Testing is not a good mechanism for dealing with guilt.
EWH
105 months ago
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105 months ago
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Edward W. Hook M.D.
105 months ago
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