[Question #717] Possibility of contracting an STD

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102 months ago
Hello,

About 7 days ago, I went to a strip club. A dancer came up to me, and I noticed she had chapped lips. She gave me a dance, and she got a little close and our lips touched very very briefly before we both pulled away. When she had her back to me, I bit her lightly on her back, and she was sweating. The next day, I noticed I had a canker sore on the inside of my lower lip, and the presence of this open wound freaked me out. Is there a possibility that I could've contracted an STD from either the light lip touch or me biting her? I never tasted blood and I have not had any symptoms 7 days later.
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H. Hunter Handsfield, MD
102 months ago
Welcome to the forum. Thanks for your question, which came in while I was logged in. Most users should not expect nearly real-time replies!

There was absolutely no risk of any STD from this event. STDs are never transmitted by kissing and rarely if ever by saliva. (Oral herpes due to HSV1 comes closest, but that's not considered an STD. And even that was little or no risk with such brief, fleeting contact.) Sweat and other skin contact carries no risk. As for biting, if you had drawn blood in large amounts, there might be a small risk -- but even swallowing whole mouthfuls of infected blood is low risk for HIV or other STDs. Your canker sore does not increase your risk of anything.

So all is well; you can put this event behind you with no worries at all. You don't need testing for anything, and if you have a regular sex partner, you can continue your usual sexual practices without putting that person at risk.

I hope this has been helpful. Let me know if anything isn't clear. Best wishes--

HHH, MD
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102 months ago
Thank you, doctor! Your response was clear and has put my mind at ease. Thanks again.
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H. Hunter Handsfield, MD
102 months ago
You're welcome. I'm glad to have helped.

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