[Question #5366] Risk of STD Infection

75 months ago

I am from Malaysia. Recently I went to see my Doctor, a General Practitioner at his clinic near housing estates. It is for a one week follow up appointment to check whether the balanitis infection on my penis has been cured after taking antibiotic medicine and applying cream.

My Doctor put on his hands gloves but unfortunately he proceeded to push the metallic door knob to close his consulting room door before he examined and touched my penis’s head including the opening of the urethra.

My question is as follows :-

(1) 1) what are the risks of STD such as Gonorrhea and Chlamydia infecting me. Very fearful of the possibility that infected secretions such semen, genital fluids, urine, blood, saliva etc might have contaminated on the same metallic door knob by STD patients and these secretions transmitted into the mucous lining of the opening of my urethra when the doctor examined and touched my penis head including the opening of my urethra. I am not sure whether there is any wound or cut in the urethra opening.

Thank You.

H. Hunter Handsfield, MD

75 months ago

Welcome back to the forum. This could have been asked as a follow-up to your question answered by Dr. Hook 6 days ago, at no additional cost. I will be answering this one and will close your previous thread.

You are way over concerned. No STDs ever are transmitted in doctors' office because of minor lapses in technique you describe. (I also have to suspect the doctor did not close the door with a gloved hand -- maybe with his elbow or hip? But even if he used his hand, there is no way he could have contacted any STD or any other important bacteria or viruses with that brief touch; and that there would be enough to transmit to you. They call them sexually transmitted diseases for good reason: except for things like laboratory accidents or babies born to infected mothers, no sex means no risk. Whether or not you had a "cut" in your urethra would make no difference. (And if you didn't see or notice any sort of "cut", or course none was there.

I hope this information is helpful. Let me know if anything isn't clear. If you have another question about it, ask it in the follow-up window below; don't pay for a new question.

HHH, MD

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75 months ago

Hi Doctor Handsfield,

First of all I thank you for reply to my question under Order 5366.

I have actually saw my doctor pressed the metallic door knob with his finger to close and lock the door so that no one could barge into the consultation room but before he proceeded to examine my penis.

So am I correct to mention that based on your reply there no risk of me contracting any STDs.

Best Wishes.

H. Hunter Handsfield, MD

75 months ago

You are coorect: no risk at all, no matter how he closed the door.

Your other thread was closed and I deleted your comments intended for Dr. Hook. He will not see this discussion. You have one more comment/question remaining on this thread -- feel free to ask whatever is on your mind.

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75 months ago

Hi Dr Handsfield,

Middle Portion of Urine Stream

I would like to seek your view on the accuracy of the test results for STDs like Gonorrhea & Chlamydia preferably we used the middle portion of urine stream instead of first (1st) portion of the urine stream. Many experts have commented it will not invalidate the tests results. I understand the first (1st ) portion of the urine contains more cells.

Thank you very much.

H. Hunter Handsfield, MD

75 months ago

Initial stream is ideal, but clinical experience shows that mid-stream specimens work just fine. The "many experts" you quote are correct.

That completes two follow-up comments and replies and so concludes this thread. I hope the discussion has been helpful.

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