[Question #373] Fingering with a newly opened cut then touching the penis

105 months ago

Hello Doctors,

I went to a massage parlour yesterday and since I was extremely cautious due to my last anxiety episode I did not engage in any sort of sex(vaginal, anal, oral). Instead we only did mutual masturbation.

After fingering for a long amount of time I cleaned my penis with wet tissue and I am afraid I cannot remember whether I touched my urethra with my fingers that are covered with vaginal fluid. There was a very short time between getting my fingers out and touching my penis. Less than a minute certainly.

Also few hours after this exposure I noticed peeled skin with a red bloody area exposed along with wet lower layer. The wound was healing so probably it was newly formed during fingering. She had a vaginal piercing so what i fear is that the cut was formed by it during fingering an my fresh little cut with small amount of blood came into contact with virus in the vagina. The cut was on the part of the skin above one of the veins in the finger. So could the virus have reached the vein from thet fresh cut? Also I fingered her a bit hard and I am afraid may be I may contactes the wound to microscopic tears I may have opened while inside vagina. Also the red bloody area in the peeled part is in the skin that is above one the visible veins of the finger.

After this I called the massage parlour and asked about std testing if the girls. They said they care for themselves as much as they care fir the customers and I should not worry. But the sex worker was eastern european and after fingering her she told me I should wash my hands. This made the impression that she knows something that the parlour owners don't. Maybe was recently exposed havent told anyone or tested yet?

Based on this experience and possibility of her piercing acted as a needle, should I fear and test?

Thank you.

Edward W. Hook M.D.

105 months ago

Welcome to the Forum. Let me first indicate that it is most unlikely that your partner had HIV, few commercial sex workers do. they are aware of the occupational hazards they have for STIs including HIV and typically take precautions to avoid them. Even more importantly, over the years, Dr. Handsfield and I have addressed literally thousands of questions regarding the risk for acquisition of HIV or other STIs through masturbation and/or the transfer of infectious material from one person's genitals to another on their hands and have never had a patient or a client in whom that has occurred. Similarly neither of us has EVER heard of HIV infection occurring from such an exposure in our reading of scientific journals or at scientific meetings. Lastly, the U.S. CDC and the WHO all state categorically that mutual masturbation is safe sex without risk for HIV. Thus, based on all of these data sources, I am confident that you are not going to be the first person in history to acquire HIV through the sort of activities you describe. This was a no risk event. Abrasions and opening of minor cuts and scrapes in the process of mutual masturbation is common and this does not change my assessment at all- still no risk.

I would not worry about this at all. there is no reason for concern and no reason for testing. I hope my comments will be helpful to you. EWH

---

105 months ago

Hello Dr Hook,

Yes you have been very helpful. However I saw this individual in one your old discussions: http://www.medhelp.org/posts/HIV---Prevention/Fingering-Frottage-Potential-Penetration-during-menstruation/show/2003141

Reading this made me think there is one guy got infected like this nothing guarantees me not being the second. I also had a possibly bleeding (not clearly visible) fresh cut during fingering and the piercing that opened it could have acted like an injecting needle. Also I dont recall whether she was mensturating or not?

Does this change your assessment? Does a wound with visible bleeding that needs immediate attention categorized into a risky one th rest is negligible? By lower layers that are prone hiv infection do you mean deep painful cuts?

Thank you

Edward W. Hook M.D.

105 months ago

You have mis-read the over 12-year old post you refer to. In it I said "...even with cuts on your fingers, there is no meaningful risk of acquiring HIV from masturbating (fingering) her even if she was menstruating." that is still the case. There are NO instances in which HIV has been transmitted by masturbation/fingering. No change in my assessment. EWH
---

105 months ago

Thanks Dr Hook,

I am asking the following just to be sure for the one last time. Then I won't continue with other anxiety driven stuff.

- So the cut made by her vaginal piercing covered by vaginal fluids does not fall under the category of "wound by contaminated sharp object"?

- Even though the small cut is above a beating artery on my middle finger and even though it was bleeding during fingering act in the vagina, neither the piercing nor her fluids during hard fingering are capable of infecting me through that route based on scientific facts?

- As I understand the above circumstances "cut by vaginal fluid covered piercing before making blood contact with vaginal fluid inside the confined medium of vagina." does not put me in a unique position. This is still another no risk masturbation. Science and experience overrules my "unique" circumstances from being meaningful risk and thus I need no testing for any STI?

- Would you recommend RNA test at 9-10 days just to clear my mind? Is there a risk for false pos for that? Would duo work for relief before 3 weeks?

Those were my final questions. i will only write back if I test pos for something. I hope I won't.