Dear Drs,

First of all I want to truly thank you for the great service that you provide here.I had an incident that I am deeply worried about 47 days ago. I had a normal, non-sensual massage where I was fully clothed (only neck, face and hands were exposed). The masseuse may have briefly massaged part of my face and neck. My concern is:

1) When as i was leaving, I found my skin to be red at two points in my forhead (irritated skin from friction) about the size of two 5mm circles.No bleeding as far as i could tell, but just irritated red half cm parts. The next day one of them turned into a needle point size scab, that when i rubbed off later turned into a small needle head sized pimple that opened and resolved on its own. I am concerned that this was a route for infection, or that there was another unnoticed small cut that transfered hiv or any other std. The next day i also noticed a small 1.5 cm skin part behind my ear that seemed to be red and had tiny superficial peeling skin parts. It is still there on month later and wont heal..

2)as i was untying my shoe laces, i lost my balance and leaned with my face towards the wall of the massage room. I felt that the inner part of my eyelid may have touched the wall surface for a couple of seconds. My concern is that if this place did provide any sensual services and if the wall somehow had any secretions that i might have contracted something through my eye especially that after one day, my eye turned red.the next day before it turned red, i was cleaning a dusty closet so the maybe the dust caused it to turn red but i cant be sure..the redness almost cleared after using antibiotic droplets, but two weeks ago I was exposed to alot of dust from a construction site, and later that night the same eye turned very watery and red..had to visit a doctor that gave me another antibiotic droplets. The redness is clearing after one week of treatmeng but still not 100 %.My 1.5 year old daughter's eyes began to become red and irritated, which is scaring me to death that i might have contracted something from the incident and passed it on to her through her accidentally touching my eye.

3) Lastly, after the massage, i have been feeling some strain and tenderness in the area between my right upper chest and shoulder and above my colar bone..could be from a wrong arm stretch during the massage..I have a bit of a std phobia, so lately i have been feeling my neck sides and lower neck (above collar bone for swollen lymph nodes and when i feel for long enough, i think i could feel a couple of tic tac sized lymph nodes (I have been having a cold for a week now, with running and blocked nose, slightly sore throat, some yellow pelghum in the morning..could this be a reason why i am feeling lymph nodes in this area, or could this be related to the massage incident?)

I have been sleepless for a month now and terrified to get close to my wife or my young daughter..I feel really terrified and dont know what to do.

Stopping after your opening statement, before looking at the questions themselves:  Even entirely unclothed, massage without a sexual component (e.g. unprotected oral sex as a "happy ending") is completely free of risk for any and all STDs, including HIV. Unless there is a very big surprise when I read further, I'm sure you needn't be worried about STDs or HIV.

Now I have read the rest. Guess what?

1) STD bacteria and viruses are never acquired from contact with a contaminated environment. The amount of secretions, the death of the viruses and bacteria with time and drying, and the potential exposures (including skin problems like pimples or small cuts) do not allow enough exposure. There is no chance you were infected in this manner.

2) The first part of this question is covered in comment no. 1. As for your symptoms, they do not suggest any STD, and it is very unlikely your conjunctivitis (pink eye) was from dust or other exposures in the massage parlor. Most conjunctivitis is due to common viruses, and in the next question you describe the cold that probably is responsible. That your daughter now has similar symptoms also suggests you're sharing a garden variety cold virus. STDs cannot be transmitted to kids in the household (assuming no sexual abuse, of course).

3) No STD causes symptoms like these.

Your closing sentence saddens me. You are very seriously overreacting to a completely innocent and safe event. I have to seriously suspect there's an underlying psychological/emotional issue behind all this, and that professional counseling might help  These really are abnormal responses to this situation.

I hope this response is helpful. Let me know if anything isn't clear.

HHH, MD

Dear Dr.Hunter, 

First of all, Thank you very much for your warm, heart felt and sincere concern..it is really appreciated.

Your assesment has helped me alot in overcoming my panic and severe anxiety..

I am just very concerned because the timing of my eye problem started directly after the massage, which makes me very suspicious that I may have caught something primarily from the contact of my eye with the massage room's wall, 

or possibly with the massage bed's sheets or masseuses hand..(secretions from a previous client if this place somehow offered "extra" services that I wasn't aware off ??)

especially that after taking antibiotic eye drops for one week, then antibiotic eye drops "tobradex" and another eye drop medication called "fluca" for an additional week, my eye still has a thin jelly like layer and slight redness on the side, and a what looks like tiny water pocket (s) and redness in the side of my eye. My eye doctor doesn't seem very concerned and asked my to stop the antibiotic droplets and continue with the fluca drops for another week..

I have never had such an eye problem previously. I am concerned that if this is a viral infection that found it's way somehow to my eye from the massage place, then possibly an sti could as well (or this could be an sti in it self).

I have read on the internet that eyes are possible routes for sti or hiv infections and that some infection cases have been reported through eye exposure and since then I have been in a very bad state of depression and anxiety..

Do I need any sti testing or should I just regard this eye problem as a non sti related issue, continue the prescribed treatment and move on normally with my life?

Thank you again and best regards.

So still no STi worries. You definitely do not need STI testing and indeed should "move on normally with [your] life".

So just to recap the situation for my peace of mind:

1) Having a red, watery eye that is still not 100% gone after 2.5 months from the massage visit and after taking eye medication,  and being able to feel two tic tac sized lymph nodes at the end of my neck- above collar bone at the same side of my red eye (some times when i stretch my neck they become slightly visable) could not possibly be from hiv or an sti that could have resulted from possible contaminted massage bedsheets, masseuse's hands touching face or eye, or eye contact with massage room wall?

2) could these two symptoms be related and resulting from a common cold virus, even when these symptoms  presist for 2.5 months (I am not sure when I started noticing the lymph nodes during those 2.5 months) ?

3) is it normal to feel tic tac sized lymph nodes at this area? If not, then could they possibly be from a tooth cavity at the same side or sinus problems or acid reflux that I have? Could I have possibly inflamed these lymph nodes from constantly feeling this area out of anxiety?

3)Is it safe to resume sex with my wife and not worry about any sti even when these two symptoms presist?

Thank you again for your invaluable advice and I appologize for my anxiety.

Best regards

2) Persisting that long, it's not a single cold. Allergy is the other main cause of such symptoms. In any case, prolonged duration does not imply a sexually transmitted infection.

3) Anxious persons examining themselves often detect small bumps or lumps under the skin. So will careful physical examination in most healthy people. Such things probably are usually "burned out" lymph nodes -- previously inflamed and now scarred.

3) It is entirely safe to have sex with your wife.

You're obviously stressed -- perhaps feeling guity or ashamed over a sexual decision you regret. Deal with that part as you need to, perhaps including professional counseling. But don't confuse this with infection from the event. They aren't the same and there is no chance you have any STD. Do your best to believe it and move on without further worry. I hope this discussion has helped you do that. Best wishes.