[Question #7214] Follow up to 7130

59 months ago

Hi drs

This is follow up to 7130 went to post third response but was closed (guessing because so long since I posted)

1 ) this holds true even for stis that are spread via skin to skin contact?

2.)what about if come across a used, bloody bandaid in environment?

A.if have cold sore or something in mouth &touch it while eating or whatever &then give my kids food/change their diaper? Or take a bite of a sandwich/other food &then they take a bite? Or share a drink?

B.Or if mistakenly kiss them on lips if they move theirface when go to kiss them? that’s what happenother day with my 7month old then I went &breastfed her. I do have a sore or something in my mouth but when asked dentist he wasn’t sure if it was a cold sore or not but mentioned that should be careful around the kids just in case.

C.worry about butt cracks.think someone bent down and when they did their crack may have touched my arm. But from what you have said this would not be a concern because not direct contact even if I or my kids then go to touch my arm then eat go bathroom touch things etc?

D.My dr said hpv & other stis don’t live on skin or pubic hair etc & it has to be direct genital to genital or genital to mouth contact ? She also said high risk hpv Is inside cervix not outside but I read skin to skin can spread it ?

E.use mouthwash after oral sex but dr says makes no difference in terms of Sti or sharing food or issuing my kids since can’t spread sti that way .Is this true ?

F.therapist said that I could literally not wash my hands for week even after going to the bathroom or doing laundry or having sex or whatever &still take care of my kids by feeding them, changing their diapers, playing with them etc. and not give them hpv or any other sti even if right after bathroom I do those things He mentioned this because as you can see I’m super worried about giving hpv to my kids & am nervous about hand washing. He mentioned this as a way I could possibly get over my fears. (Not that I would ever not wash after the bathroom and certain other things if I can help it).from the sound of your reply about people without access to running water it seems that he would be correct? He wants me to try exposure therapy and I’m worried they are going to have me do something that could give my kids high risk hpv (Currently i do not have it but have had it in past and know it could always come back plus I know you can have it other places besides wha the gyno tests for) or if I don’t shower after sex

H. Hunter Handsfield, MD

59 months ago

Your OCD is leading you to question our previous replies and re-ask the same questions. You know the answers, or they are logically obvious from our previous replies. Hence my replies this time are brief.

1) Yes, all STIs including those by skin-skin contact.

2) No risk from a used band-aid, even if from a person with other STI, including HIV (which of course is unlikely).

3A, B, C) No risk for HIV, HPV or other STI from any of these sorts of events.

3D, E) Your doctor is correct about both of these.

3F) Your therapist is correct about HIV/STI risk from such events. I don't know exactly what he is recommending as "exposure therapy", but I would recommend against intentionally exposing yourself to potentially contaminated surfaces. There would be no risk of HPV, HIV, or any STI, but such events do carry risks for colds, influenza, gastrointestinal infections, and COVID-19. It doesn't sound like a great idea.

As for most persons with OCD, continued answers to such questions can cause more distress than help. There's almost always a "yes but", "what if", or "could I be the exception", prolonging rather than relieving the problem. The answers to your fears to do not lie in hearing the facts and scientific data one more time, but in addressing the underlying mental health issues. In addition, repeated questions on the same topic have limited educational value for other users, one of the forum's main purposes. So keep working with your therapist, but this must be your last question on this forum about these issues. Future ones risk being deleted without reply and without refund of the posting fee. Thanks for your understanding.

HHH, MD

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59 months ago

1.) also for stis if you come into contact with bodily fluid in environment or anything that may have an sti on it and you then masturbate would that lead to a sti? Worried since I have had roommates in past. Also worry if I somehow get hpv onto an object and when my kids get older they will get hpv in this manner. If you touch an object with hpv or another sti on it and then touch your privates or stick your fingers inside yourself when masterbating (I’ve read Posts where you have said that not even mutual masterbation causes stis)

2.) you have said blood in environment is not concern what if you mistakenly ingest some? My child picked something up from side of road. Later noticed something red on her but before could look more closely it was gone and since she is a baby worry she ate it. In addition there was definitely blood on our porch the other day and I worry when I come into contact with blood. (I know besides sex or needle injection you have said not a concern but I worry about ingesting)

3.) in regards to hand washing and diapering/food... if I dont Wash after touching privates (which I don’t think would ever do but am paranoid about it) and then diaper or feed them and there is hpv on me- no risk? I know I asked about after bathroom but that involved toilets paper between your hand and privates and wiping and I’m worried about the hpv being directly on my hands

4)In Terms of hpv reoccurrence— would stress cause it to come back? Or not going to bathroom enough? Diet? Medications taken ? Anything ( I’ve read smoking does it but not sure what else)

5)I got the hpv vaccine years ago but I know there is an Updated version that protects against more strains, should I get that?

6)butt cracks touching ? Also worried if bending down and someone’s butt crack touching mine

Drs I know I could keep asking about diff scenarios and it is my ocd. Need to wrap my head around what you have said and I could keep going on and on with more questions.

So besides direct genital to genital contact and needle injection I don’t need to worry about stis and blood diseases? I know I could come up with a million what if’s and continue to ask questions but if you say that the only way to get stis and blood diseases I will continue to tell myself thy and try to work past this.

H. Hunter Handsfield, MD

59 months ago

1) Nope. No risk, no worries.

2) Swallowing blood or infected fluids is low risk. That's one reason why oral sex rarely transmits HIV. No child has ever caught HIV from contacting or swallowing HIV infected blood, especially in the small amounts you describe.

3) You cannot infect yourself with anything by touching your "privates" and then your mouth. If you never bathed and never washed your hands, you would still never be at risk from this sort of thing.

4) Neither stress, diet, any medication, nor toilet frequency has any effect on HPV recurrence or reactivation. You are right that smoking might increase the risk, but that's the only known influence.

5) If you are still under age 45, and if at risk for new HPV infections -- dating with occasional new partners, or a partner who might have other partners -- then getting the newer HPV vaccine makes sense. Otherwise, probably not. This is something to discuss with your gynecologist or primary care provider.

6) Are you serious? Butt cracks touching? Except during sex, how could that happen? And iif you're having sex with someone, butt crack contact is of course a far less likely mode of transmission than sex itself.

Your closing comments all are correct. You also correctly understand one of the problems with OCD: there's always a "yes but" or "could I be the exception" question. That's why continued replies to the scenarios you think about simply will never help. Professional counseling and other treatment for OCD is the problem, not repeated replies to questions like this. See the last paragraph of my original reply above, including the bold faced statement. Concentrate on it. I'll answer one more BRIEF comment or question now. After that, you well be excluded from further forum questions along these lines. Thanks in advance for your understanding.

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59 months ago

1.) so stds in environment not a concern even if you have some on your hands and eat?

And no stds/blood disease if come into contact with a used tampon/sanitary pad/feminine hygiene wipe/dirty towel /dirty underwear/sex toy/etc ?

2.) it was a line of red on her leg. Was kind of thick (so not a thin line). Concerned because now she has a runny nose and I have a sore throat/ears/runny nose/cough and my son is sick(he had picked some of the stuff off of her leg). I don’t want to run to the dr if not necessary but I’m nervous. My husband laughed when I said I was concerned we had hiv and said it def doesn’t infect people like that? (Nor does hep c?) and if you get a little blood on hands from someone and go to bathroom or touch privates or if some gets in a small cut? Still not an issue?

3.) you are saying I can’t infect other parts of my body?

in terms of this question I meant infecting others if I have some sti/hpv on my hands if I touch privates directly or a sore in my mouth(one recently ruptured but I have have just bit my cheek). Worry if change kids diaper or go to feed them and have some on my hands. Or if they put their hands in my mouth or we share food ?

4)in regards to toilet frequency just worried

Because sometimes I’ll go 12-24 hours without going to bathroom or if I’m not brushing my teeth enough etc or that my diet isn’t great and neither is my sleeping

5)in terms of hand soap - sometimes I order from amazon and i’ve left it outside for a few days in the heat and sunlight. Is that a concern in terms of it cleaning my hands and not being an issue if I use it in terms of hurting my kids with an STD/hpv with diaper changing/bathing/feeding/etc? Or it cleaning my hands if blood on them? My husband says not to throw it away and that soap is heat stable. And you make it sound like it doesn’t matter anyway because of your comment about Africa and hand washing. It just seems like it’s contact although I know it’s not sexual contact

Realize I can’t keep asking all my questions many different ways and will work on this with my therapist. I’m sorry for all of the questions and will definitely work on this with her to try to alleviate my concerns

59 months ago

For #5 just wanted to clarify that it is liquid hand soap although my husband said you would know what I meant and didn’t need to clarify

H. Hunter Handsfield, MD

59 months ago

My last reply ended with "I'll answer one more BRIEF comment or question...." These additional comments do not qualify as brief! But my replies are.

1) You have correctly stated the truth.

2) These symptoms are typical of a cold. They are not typical of HIV or STDs. (HIV and STDs do not cause nasal congestion, runny nose, or ear symptoms.)

3) Yes, that's what I am saying.

4) Urinary frequency has nothing to do with STD or HIV.

5) Your husband may not have been diplomatic if he heally laughted at your concerns. But his analysis is correct. Soap instataneously kills HIV and all STD bacteria and viruses. It does not lose potency by being heated.

As I said above, this is your last question on this forum. Additoinal ones along these lines will be deleted without reply, and without refund of the posting fee -- for the reasons you have been told (see my initial reply above). Please do not try. Thank you for your understanding.

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