[Question #539] Sanity check
107 months ago
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Edward W. Hook M.D.
107 months ago
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Welcome to the Forum and thanks for your vote of confidence. You ask three good questions. As you will see below in my specific answers, while science is constantly on the move, more often than not that movement is slow. On to your questions:
1) With condom protected vaginal sex, is the consensus still that as long as the condom stays on and doesn't break, there is no risk for fluid transmitted disease (particularly HIV)? Are there an proven cases of HIV transmission from protected vaginal sex without evidence of condom failure?
the complete answer to this question is nuanced. In every carefully conducted, well controlled study of condoms for HIV, the results leave no question that condoms are highly effective for HIV transmission. At the same time, in each large study there are typically a VERY few cases in which persons professing to use condoms correctly and consistently become infected. Most investigators also point out that participants in such studies are often embarrassed to state that they did not use condoms some of the time or may have knowingly or unknowingly used them incorrectly. Deciphering whether condoms have a vanishingly low failure rate when used correctly or the participants in these trials used them wrong is impossible. We continue to have complete faith that consistently and correctly used condoms which do not break offer complete protection from HIV.
107 months ago
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Edward W. Hook M.D.
107 months ago
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I congratulate you on your safe sex/sexually healthy approach to sex. it will keep you safe. The use of condoms you describe is correct and will protect you. The only additional caveat that I might add is that there have been occasions when persons have not pout on their condoms at the beginning of sex, mistakenly thinking that as long as they put the condom on before ejaculation they are safe- clearly this is an incorrect belief. It sounds to me as though you are doing the right thing and should completely protect you from HIV.
When the male's partner slips out of the condom as he exit's his partner and the condom remains behind, the condom has still done its job and should not be a reason for concern. similarly, if your penis becomes flaccid while still within your partner, as long as the condom is on, it is doing its job.
My only other suggestion for you regarding living a sexually healthy lifestyle is that you might want to consider getting the HPV vaccine. the vaccine is typically recommended for persons 26 or less but given your history and commitment to safe sex, you (and your future partners) might well benefit from receipt of the vaccine. You would probably have to pay for itself (about $300-400 for the full course) given your age but the vaccine would still be quite effective and at present your risk for having gotten HPV up to now is rather low. EWH