[Question #8244] Follow up

47 months ago

Hi dr

I still slightly anxious after the reassurance given to me as i have just realized that the condom was about half way up and this exposed a scar that is quite deep from circumcision as a baby.. as this scar is quite deep leaving a small crater in the base skin. Would the inside of this crator be comparible to the underside of foreskin putting me at risk of hiv

Thnkyou

H. Hunter Handsfield, MD

47 months ago

This doesn't change my evaluation of this event or my advice. A scar from a healed skin wound does not raise the risk of any infection. Scar tissue probably is even less susceptible to infection than intact skin, and not comparable to the inside of the foreskin.

HHH, MD

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47 months ago

Thanks dr

What i mean is the scar has created a pocket in the skin, so even if vaginal fluid got trapped in this pocket your evaluation remains the same? Sorry if this is excessive dr.

I have realized that when a person is anxious, no matter how low the risk is it still seems like a significant risk in our minds. So i decided to book a test for 42 days post. In the mean time im just going to relax and try to enjoy myself because excessively browsing and asking questions is probably making it worse. So this will be my last question

Thank you for all your help !

H. Hunter Handsfield, MD

47 months ago

Understood; thanks for the clarification. But it still doesn't change my opinion and judgments. You can expect a negative test result. Perhaps it will further reassure you to know that in the 15 years Dr. Hook and I have been moderating this and our previous forum at Med Help, with thousands of questions from people worried about HIV from various exposures, not one later reported back that they were HIV positive. You won't be the first. If and when that happens someday, almost certainly it will be from a real risk (such as unprotected anal sex with a known infected partner, if I had to predict) and not a condom-protected event with a partner unlikely to have HIV! So stay mellow until testing time -- and I endorse your plan to stay off the internet on the topic!---