[Question #8019] Protected oral
49 months ago
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Dear Experts. This is going to be quite a long story.Around 3 years ago I received protected oral from a sex worker in Vietnam. It was definitely not one of the high class ones. So the problem is I was quite intoxicated and I do not exactly remember that well some of what happened and also it was 3 years ago but from what I believe did happen was I remember before the oral occurred, I put a condom on. At first I put it on the wrong way but then I changed it back to the right way I believe but I heard that I should've used a new one but at that time I wasn't aware that had to be done. Okay, so to continue, as I was rather intoxicated, I didn't achieve an erection or maybe I did achieve a semi-one but the CSW continued to give me oral. Also I am not even sure if the condom was on properly ie if it was covering my entire penis but I think it was. So I think during the oral, she might've sucked my scrotum but I also do not remember that well. Then she finished me off with her hands with the condom that I still think was on. After I finished, from what I remember, she took the condom off and used some wipes to clean me off. 10-11 days after this encounter, after I masturbated, I felt a tender pain on my penis. It was a throbbing pain and when I looked, there didn't seem to be any sores. This pain continued for quite a while, I'd say around 2-3 months, on and off and also I get it to this day. Then after that my legs started to always have a very nervy uncomfortable pain and also sometimes my buttocks area. It just felt like I had nerve pain. This still occurs to this day. Also 2 years ago, I remember I got a single red bump on my penis with no pain or itchiness etc which went away in 2-5 days. I was also diagnosed with prostatitis although the urologist says that doesn't explain my nerve pain on my leg. I also got 2 IGG antibodies test for HSV 1 and 2. Negative for both twice. first one was like 11 months after encounter and the other was like 1.5 years after
49 months ago
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So my questions are
1. Is it likely that I got an STD from this encounter, specifically HSV and HPV? I heard HSV affects the nerve so I'm wondering if HSV could account for my leg pain.
2. Does that red bump which I mentioned(the one which went away in 2-5 days) sound anything like HSV? I'm scared its an atypical bump which I heard can be painless.
3. Since the condom may have not been properly on, would this have made it so much riskier for the acquisition of an STD specifically the skin to skin contact ones?
4. Does the scrotal licking seem to be a cause for concern?
5. Although I got negative IGG twice, I heard it misses some for HSV1 so I still am super worried.
6. If you were to guess, what would you say are the chances I got an STD from this encounter, specially HSV and HPV since this CSW wasn't those expensive higher class ones.
For the past 3 years, I've been super anxious about this issue and I really hope I can put this behind me.
Also I got a full STD panel done and everything was negative. I also don't remember seeing any cold sores but it was very dark and I wasn't paying proper attention to her lips and I was intoxicated.
Thank you so much for your service!
1. Is it likely that I got an STD from this encounter, specifically HSV and HPV? I heard HSV affects the nerve so I'm wondering if HSV could account for my leg pain.
2. Does that red bump which I mentioned(the one which went away in 2-5 days) sound anything like HSV? I'm scared its an atypical bump which I heard can be painless.
3. Since the condom may have not been properly on, would this have made it so much riskier for the acquisition of an STD specifically the skin to skin contact ones?
4. Does the scrotal licking seem to be a cause for concern?
5. Although I got negative IGG twice, I heard it misses some for HSV1 so I still am super worried.
6. If you were to guess, what would you say are the chances I got an STD from this encounter, specially HSV and HPV since this CSW wasn't those expensive higher class ones.
For the past 3 years, I've been super anxious about this issue and I really hope I can put this behind me.
Also I got a full STD panel done and everything was negative. I also don't remember seeing any cold sores but it was very dark and I wasn't paying proper attention to her lips and I was intoxicated.
Thank you so much for your service!
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H. Hunter Handsfield, MD
49 months ago
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Welcome to the forum. Thanks for your confidence in our services.
Despite all the detail you provide about the sexual exposure you are concerned about, it was entirely safe, with little or no risk for herpes, HPV, or any other STI. In addition, your symptoms do not fit with any known STI, and I am confident they are not the result of the sexual exposure, at least not physically. However, your symptoms have earmarks of an emotional/psychological origin: from that standpoint, they could be related to the sexual event, since you seem quite obsessed and worried about it. That is exactly the sort of situation that can often lead to increased awareness of minor symptoms or even normal body sensations that otherwise would be ignored or maybe not even noticed. Even the "prostatitis" could have the same origin: I have to wonder whether you have not prostatitis, but the chronic pelvic pain syndrome (CPPS), which often is linked to genitally focused anxiety.
To your specific questions:
1,6) No. You can be very certain you acquired no infection from the events described.
2) A single red bump on one occasion does not suggest HSV or any other STI. Maybe a pimple or other minor skin inflammation?
3) Even without a condom, oral sex is safe sex, with very low risk for most STIs and zero risk for many of them.
4) Oral contact (kissing, licking, etc) anywhere on the body is risk free for STIs. The skin of the scrotum is no more susceptible to infection than skin of your elbow, back, knee, or anywhere else.
5) If you had symptoms potentially suggestive of an HSV infection, I would accept the slim possibility you have HSV1. However, you do not; and HSV1 does not behave at all like you describe, nor cause any of the symptoms you mention.
I hope these comments indeed enable you to "put this behind". Aside from the possibility of psychologically influenced symptoms, I am confident you have no medical condition from the sexual exposure described. Let me know if anything isn't clear.
HHH, MD
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49 months ago
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Hello Dr Hansfield
Your input has heavily made me feel a lot more relieved as I was under the impression that I potentially had HSV this entire time. I have a few more questions
1. I had a think about it today and I actually remember there being a single red bump on 3 separate occasions on my penis, however on the 2nd and 3rd occasion, it appeared to have went away in like 2 days as well and once again no pain, itchiness etc. Would this possibly be an atypical bump from HSV or definitely not.
2. Do you think the tender/sharp pain on my penis 10 days after the exposure was just purely coincidental then because I actually still feel the pain to this day however, it is not always present. Sometimes I can go weeks without having it for it to only return again.
3. Just wondering but you say you are certain I didn't acquire any infection from this incident, but if she had cold sores on her mouth, isn't it still likely that I acquired an infection or is the chance still very minimal?
4. If you could quantify the chance I got HSV from this specific encounter, what would you say it is?
5. I was worried that when she used her hands to finish me off, she might've gone too fast which could've cause my skin to be torn which would've resulted in HSV. Am I just overworrying too much at this point.
6. With the new information I gave, are you still very certain I did not acquire any STD especially HSV/HPV from this encounter.
Thank you so much!
I really appreciate this wonderful service you provide as there is so much misinformation on the internet which honestly just scares me even more! Your work is very much respected!
Your input has heavily made me feel a lot more relieved as I was under the impression that I potentially had HSV this entire time. I have a few more questions
1. I had a think about it today and I actually remember there being a single red bump on 3 separate occasions on my penis, however on the 2nd and 3rd occasion, it appeared to have went away in like 2 days as well and once again no pain, itchiness etc. Would this possibly be an atypical bump from HSV or definitely not.
2. Do you think the tender/sharp pain on my penis 10 days after the exposure was just purely coincidental then because I actually still feel the pain to this day however, it is not always present. Sometimes I can go weeks without having it for it to only return again.
3. Just wondering but you say you are certain I didn't acquire any infection from this incident, but if she had cold sores on her mouth, isn't it still likely that I acquired an infection or is the chance still very minimal?
4. If you could quantify the chance I got HSV from this specific encounter, what would you say it is?
5. I was worried that when she used her hands to finish me off, she might've gone too fast which could've cause my skin to be torn which would've resulted in HSV. Am I just overworrying too much at this point.
6. With the new information I gave, are you still very certain I did not acquire any STD especially HSV/HPV from this encounter.
Thank you so much!
I really appreciate this wonderful service you provide as there is so much misinformation on the internet which honestly just scares me even more! Your work is very much respected!
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H. Hunter Handsfield, MD
49 months ago
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1. Herpes lesions are unlikely to clear in only a day or two. Once a herpes lesion starts, typically it lasts at least a week, usually ~10 days.
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2. Unexplained pain, without visible abnormalities, doesn't occur with herpes. I can't judge the cause, except that this pattern is consistent with the psychological issues I discussed yesterday.
3. Herpes is not efficiently transmitted and certainly not possible through an intact condom.. When active infection is present, without a condom, the transmission risk is under 1 chance in a hundred. But why would you assume she might have a cold sore, when at any point in time, probably cold sores are present in fewer than one in a thousand persons? And you didn't see anything suspicious, right?
4. In absence of known oral herpes, and in absence of any symptoms that seem consistent with herpes, under one chance in many thousand, maybe closer to one in a million. This is a big nothingburger.
5. I've already said hand-genital contact doesn't transmit HSV. Zero risk, even with an injury. And of course you cannot be serious about the possibility of a penile skin tear that you didn't notice? Blood, pain, etc are hard to miss!
6. Yes, I am 100% confident you didn't catch herpes. (But why are you so concerned about such a trivial problem anyway? Genital HSV1 causes few or no recurrent outbreaks and is almost never transmitted to sex partners. Concern about herpes due HSV2 is rational; genital HSV1 fears generally are not.)
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49 months ago
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Thank you so much for your response Dr Handsfield
1.In regards to your reply for 2, I think it was just more red in that area but I don't remember any sores /bumps there. This is still not indicative of HSV right?
This pain and redness is no way a prodrome right?
1.In regards to your reply for 2, I think it was just more red in that area but I don't remember any sores /bumps there. This is still not indicative of HSV right?
This pain and redness is no way a prodrome right?
2. Also in response to 2, I don't remember there being cold sores but it was just very dark and I wasn't paying proper attention to her mouth.
3. Just out of curiosity, how come genital HSV1 is almost never transmitted to sexual partners. And when you say almost never transmitted, this is transmission to any area right and not just from penis to vagina or vagina to penis ie lets say someone has genital HSV1 on their penis, if the person was to perform anal on their partner or receive oral from their partner, this would almost certainly never transmit it to their partner's anus or mouth right? Also same for if the person had genital HSV1 on their anus and this person receives anal, the infected person would almost never transmit it to their partner's penis right. Just curious about this for the future.
Very sorry if my question seems too frantic but I just want to finally stop worrying and so far you have immensely helped! Thank you!
3. Just out of curiosity, how come genital HSV1 is almost never transmitted to sexual partners. And when you say almost never transmitted, this is transmission to any area right and not just from penis to vagina or vagina to penis ie lets say someone has genital HSV1 on their penis, if the person was to perform anal on their partner or receive oral from their partner, this would almost certainly never transmit it to their partner's anus or mouth right? Also same for if the person had genital HSV1 on their anus and this person receives anal, the infected person would almost never transmit it to their partner's penis right. Just curious about this for the future.
Very sorry if my question seems too frantic but I just want to finally stop worrying and so far you have immensely helped! Thank you!
49 months ago
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Also in reply to 5, since I was drunk I might've not felt it properly if there was a slight tear and I was just worried that this tear/cut was in an area where the skin wasn't covered with the condom and I was worried that she performed oral on this exposed cut area later but it would still be okay right?
49 months ago
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I guess I'm just severely overestimating how easy it is to transmit HSV.
49 months ago
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Sorry I meant overestimating the likelihood of transmission.
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H. Hunter Handsfield, MD
49 months ago
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Yes, I agree you have been seriously overestimating the likelihood of HSV transmission and of acquiring herpes after any single exposure.
1) This description further suggests the red spot wasn't herpes. 2) History of cold sores (or not) doesn't mean much one way or the other. Most people with oral HSV1 have no symptoms and no history of cold sores. 3) With genital HSV1, both recurrent outbreaks and asymptomatic viral shedding are uncommon. Without these, transmission risk is very low. HSV2 is the opposite: frequent outbreaks and high chance of viral shedding, i.e. transmission risk without symptoms.
There is no evidence that genital trauma or injury during sex increases the risk of herpes or any other STD.
That completes the two follow-up exchanges included with each question and so ends this thread. I hope the discussion has been helpful. You can move on with zero concern about herpes or other STDs. Good luck and stay safe.
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