[Question #5254] Massage with a glove

22 months ago

Hi Doctors,

I've been stressed lately at work so I decided to get a therapeutic massage that ended with a happy ending. When it was time for the ending, the female masseuse put on a latex glove. That's it. No other contact with the masseuse whatsoever. The reason I am concerned is that I did not see her take the glove from a box, so I am concerned that it was a dirty/used glove that she used with the prior patron. It must have been around 10 mins from the time the prior patron left and I came in. 2 weeks after this incident I had a mild sore throat and then 5 weeks after I have an itching sensation all over my body. My doctor recommended I take Claritin (antihistamine), and it has worked pretty well. I still itch, but substantially less. I know I am making a lot of assumptions here, but if we assume that the glove was used, had the prior patron's sperm on it, and the sperm was HIV positive, my questions are:

1] Am I at risk for hiv or any STI? Even if she rubbed the head of penis/urethra with the glove?

2] Does it make a difference if she was wearing a glove, or not?

3] She added lot of moisturizer on the glove. Does this make a difference?

I am very concerned with symptoms, especially because of the itching, which is extremely uncomfortable. I look forward to your response.

Thanks in advance,

H. Hunter Handsfield, MD

22 months ago

Welcome back to the forum. Some questions can be answered pretty accurately based only on the title of the question. HIV has never once been transmitted by massage, even without gloves. Without a bare (no condom) penis inside another person's vagina or rectum, there is no risk of transmission -- or none that has ever been known to result in virus transmission.

Now I have read the rest of your question. Guess what? This was a zero risk event in regard to HIV and all STDs.

1,2) Same question with diffeernt words. No risk with or without the latex glove.

3) Moisturizer also makes no difference.

Do not get tested for anything on account of this event and do your best to stop worrying about it. I hope these comments are helpfu. Let me know if anything isn't clear.

HHH, MD

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21 months ago

Thank you Doctor. Just to be clear, if the glove had hiv positive sperm that was exposed to air for 5mins then she rubbed it on my penis for the happy ending, this is a zero risk event?

Than you

H. Hunter Handsfield, MD

21 months ago

You can think of all sorts of potential scenarios that seem to be risky. But what is the chance she used a glove that she used with a previous client? Get real! Even if she did, this would still be a zero risk event. Nobody in the world has ever been known (and probably not even suspected) to have acquired HIV by hand job, with or without gloves. Don't worry about it.---

21 months ago

Thanks Doctor. You should know this was not a typical massage parlor, it was a “spa” and the “masseuse” offered “full service” so that is why I was concerned about the glove being used. I do understand it doesn’t make sense if the lady wanted to be safe and uses gloves, she wouldn’t want to use a used glove afterwards,. It defeats the purpose.

Can you talk about the symptom of my itchiness. I have it again . Initially, I was itchy everywhere after 3 weeks and now again at 6 weeks. Is this consistent with hiv?

I ‘ve seen many responses from you and the other doctor that mutual masterbation even with a partners fluids are used as lubrication is a no risk event. Does this situation with the glove qualify as same scenario? Again, I actually don’t know if there was sperm on the glove. Should I get tested?

Thank you and I will await your answers.

Regards,

21 months ago

Hi Doctor,

I am still awaiting for your last response. I understand that I have hiv anxiety due to a traumatic event (I was given a false positive when my wife was pregnant with my second child), so I am still trying to work through this. I think the solution for me specifically is to avoid massages altogether as they create more stress for me than they relieve.

I guess my specific follow questions are about the itchiness (at 3 weeks then again at 10 weeks), is this consistent with hiv?

And also, I believe that the Masseuse using a glove was more risky for ME than if she would have used only her hand. This is because one always washes ones hands but she could have left the glove unwashed, or not clean enough, whereas, it could have still had remnants of ejaculte.

I will await your response. Thanks again.

H. Hunter Handsfield, MD

21 months ago

Sorry about the delayed reply. Somehow I missed your comment. Apologies.

Itchiness is not a symptom of HIV or any other STD, and for sur eyou were not at risk.

In the 14 years I have been doing this and a previous online forum, with thousands of questions about HIV risk, not one questioner has turned out to have acquired HIV. You won't be the first! If and when that happens, surely it will be someone at real risk (e.g unprotected anal sex between men, unprotected vaginal with a known infected partner, etc), not a trivial non-exposure event like yours. Your comment about somehow contact with a glove being risky for you when it never has been for anyone else is irrational nonsense. Nobody in the world ever got HIV from hand genital contact even without gloves.

That completes the two follow-up comments and replies included with each question and so ends this thread. Do your best to move on without worry. Note that repeated anxiety driven questions on the same topic or exposure are not permitted, so please no further questions about this event, these symptoms, or your HIV fears. Thanks.

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