[Question #4075] Asian massage parlor
85 months ago
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I recently visited a massage parlor. While
there, the woman gave me a table shower with what looked like a used bar of
soap. My question is two fold. Firstly, is there any exposure from being naked
on a table shower, used by others who may have an STD. Secondly, what about
using the same bar of soap that someone may have used. Additionally, while
preforming the massage, the woman caressed her fingers inside my butt cheeks.
Any exposure from that? Lastly, I know for a fact that sexual activity is
preformed there and noticed that the sheets and towels were very musty and
possibly not cleaned, any exposure from that?
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H. Hunter Handsfield, MD
85 months ago
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Welcome back but sorry you found it necessary. If not the same exposure discussed in your 4 previous threads almost a year ago, it is sufficiently similar that you really should have been able to work out the answers on your own. The main take-home messages from Ms. Warren's and Dr. Hook's replies were that STDs are not transmitted by any sort of contact that does not include penetration. If there is not direct penile entry into a partner's vagina, rectum, or (more rarely) mouth, it can be safely assumed there is no risk of STD transmission. There is no risk for hand-genital or -anal contact, and no risk from fingering of any body opening. As for contact soap, there is never any risk: soap instantly kills all STD bacteria and viruses, and there is no possibility of transmission through contact with contaminated soap. Finally, in general there is never any risk from contact with contaminated blood or body fluids in the environment -- e.g. no risk from contaminated towels, sheets, toilet seats, or anything else.
Those comments answer your specific questions, In the future, just understand that without actual sex -- that is, oral, vaginal, or anal intercourse -- you will never catch any STD. Without such contact, it should not be necessary to ask again about exposure risks.
I hope this information is helpful. but let me know if anything isn't clear.
HHH, MD
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85 months ago
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Thanks for your response. So just to be clear any type of soap would kill all STD bacteria? And also, if my penis was on a towel with bodily fluids there is no expouseure?
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H. Hunter Handsfield, MD
85 months ago
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All soaps would have very strong ani-infection effects and kill or inhibit most bacteria and viruses. Some are more effective than others, but all are potent. There has never been a known case of HIV or other STD from penis contact with an infected towel, sheet, etc. I suppose it could happen, but obviously nothing to worry about. Do not confuse theoretical risk with actual, known risk. Focus on the latter, not the former. OK?---
85 months ago
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Thanks for your reply. I have seen this a lot here and would like to know what it means.what is the difference between a theoretical risk and an actual known risk.
Thanks
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H. Hunter Handsfield, MD
85 months ago
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There is no formal definition of theoretical versus true risk of HIV transmission. On this forum, I use theoretical risk to mean one that might very rarely transmit HIV, but is not known to have actually done so. For example, biting by an HIV infected person might transmit the virus, but there are no reported cases that it actually happened. Same for stepping on and being penetrated by an HIV contaminated needle in the environment, which could transmit HIV in theory but for which there have been few or no proved cases. Oral sex: even though the virus conceivably could be transmitted mouth to penis, there are no proved cases and the risk has been calculated, if the oral partner has HIV, at 1 in 20,000. That's equivalent to receiving BJs by infected men once daily for 55 years before transmission might be likely, so I consider it a theoretical but not realistic HIV risk.
The problem is that many educational sources don't distinguish between theoretical and actual risks. The theoretical ones are listed as risks, such as oral sex, even though it almost never happens. Same for biting, sharing tooth brushes, or touching blood or infected fluids in the environment.
That concludes the two follow-up comments and replies included with each question and so concludes this thread. I hope the discussion has been helpful. Knowing what you now do, it should't be necessary to ask about future exposure that do not involve genital-genital or genital-anal penetration. The result of your $25 posting fee will be the same: no risk, don't worry!
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