[Question #8161] HIV Risk
48 months ago
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Hello Dr's,
Reaching out to assess my level of risk on the following encounter. I'm in the U.S. and met this woman through a matchmaking service. The activities in question are 1. dry humping (I was wearing sports shorts) with vaginal penetration. 2. Dry humping with her on top and both my shorts and her panties on. 3. Protected vaginal sex. She has told me she has had a lot of partners recently and I asked her if she is clean and she said she is. I'm concerned about the delay in symptoms. About 4-5 days after the encounter I got sick. (Stuffy nose, sore throat, a little tired. Also took my temperature on day 4 and 5 and not running a fever).
1. Should I legitimately be concerned about this encounter?
2. Is the sickness a sign of ARS?
3. How do I approach my partner to let her know I'm concerned about her dating around with STD risk?
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Edward W. Hook M.D.
48 months ago
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Welcome to her for a minute thanks for your questions. I’ll be glad to comment. Before I get to the specific questions that you have asked, let me comment that no STI’s are transmitted through clothing, even if the material gets wet with genital secretions. Thus the dry humping (frottage) which you were engaged in was a no risk event. Admittedly, there is a theoretical but very, very low risk of acquiring lesion STI’s such as HPV, herpes, or syphilis when there is rubbing of the sort you describe without wearing clothing but if you were both wearing shorts or panties again there was no risk involved. Now onto your specific questions:
1. I would not be concerned about this encounter. Much of your contact was no risk in nature and your penetrative sexual activity was condom protected. Even if your partner happen to have an STI which is statistically unlikely, most of STI’s are not transmitted following a single encounter. Further, your use of a condom reduces any associated risk to less than 99% as long as the condom was worn throughout the penetrative activity.
2. A runny nose and a mild sore throat are not signs of the ARS. Further the onset of your symptoms occurred a bit early to be suggestive of the ARS. Typically, the ARS involves the onset of severe sore throat, high fever, and muscle or joint aches occurring 7-21 days following an encounter.. Some describe it is the worst flu they’ve ever had. Your symptoms are more suggestive of a run-of-the-mill upper respiratory tract infection unrelated to sexual activity.
3. I’m not sure if in this question you are commenting on the partner you described above or not. If that is the case, my advice would simply be to mention that you have had a runny nose and sore throat in the last few days and are hoping that she did not have similar symptoms.
I hope this information is helpful. If they are further questions or if clarification is needed, please feel free to use your up to two follow-ups for that purpose. Take care. Please don’t worry. EWH
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48 months ago
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Hello Doctor!
Thank you for responding so quickly. Your comments have made me feel mostly relieved. Just had one followup.
For the dry humping with my sports shorts on (1) she was not wearing panties. Does that change your viewpoint on that risk?
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Edward W. Hook M.D.
48 months ago
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No, the fact that she was not wearing panties and no way changes my assessment. This was a no risk event for acquisition of HIV And, as described above a virtually no risk of it for other STI’s. Please don’t worry. Take care. EWH---
48 months ago
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One last question Dr I'm sorry.
My sports shorts are pretty sheer and if I penetrated her with them on (a few minutes) what is the risk of HIV being transferred that way? Just wanted to clarify.
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Edward W. Hook M.D.
48 months ago
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I think you are overthinking this. As I said above, HIV is not transmitted through clothing, no matter how shear. . No change in my assessment. Please don’t worry. EWH ---