[Question #8455] Chlamydia exposure?

Avatar photo
44 months ago
Good afternoon Dr.

Thank you in advance for your help!  My situation is as follows.
On OCT 28 (about 43 days ago) I visited a massage parlor that offered services.  I received protected oral for about 5-7 minutes and then she inserted me inside her for about 2 minutes at most for vaginal sex with the same condom.  I understand it was protected and I was only inserted for about 2 minutes.  About 2 weeks later I had sex with my wife (unprotected) and it was maybe 5 minutes total.  About 2 weeks ago (29 days since exposure and about 2 weeks from sex with wife) my wife started complaining about burning when she urinates.  I am freezing out.  She complained again last night that she thinks she has a uti and needs to go to urgent care to get tested.  I don’t know what to do - I went and took a test this morning and they said about 3 days for results for Chlamydia and Ghonorhea - they also did a dip test - they said the dip test was normal and no increased wbc or leukocytes.  My questions are below

Could the company don have been reared from the oral and then I was not protected during the Intercourse?   Is the dip test results a good chance I don’t have any bacterial stds?  I forgot to mention my wife had a uti about 6 months ago with E. coli from the tests.  I’m truly going to lose my family over this stupid mistake I made.  What are the chances I let ripped and I got Chlamydia and gave it to my wife.  I don’t have any pus or discharge - I did about 2 weeks ago have to pee like every 5 minutes for a few hours with dribble.  Please let me know your thoughts.  Thank you again!  
Avatar photo
44 months ago
Oh yes - forgot to add the provider was a late 30’s maybe 40s’s white female and she mentioned she had regulars - don’t know if this helps as well!
Avatar photo
44 months ago
I just reread and noticed the auto correct - it should have read - do you think the condom could have tested during the oral and then I was unprotected during the insert for the intercourse?  I asked her after if the condom was fine and she said yes - I did not see the condom after it was all so fast
Avatar photo
44 months ago
ok last follow up - i did not have any dischsrge or pus from penis at anytime or any burning during urine - just to make sure - im going crazy over this and just want a true std expert advice.  thankyou once again
Avatar photo
H. Hunter Handsfield, MD
44 months ago
Welcome. Thanks for your confidence in our services.

Quick response, more detail to follow:  there is no realistic chance you acquired chlamydia, gonorrhea, or any other STI that could explain your wife's symptoms. It is very probable she has a UTI. Here's my analysis and reasoning:

First, there was virtually no risk of gonorrhea or chlamydia from the exposure described. Statistically, your massage partner wasn't infected; oral sex is low risk for gonorrhea and nearly zero for chlamydia; and condoms work. And I see no reason to doubt your partner's judgment that the condom didn't fail. Second, UTIs are common in women and your wife's symptoms are more typical UTI than gonorrhea and chlamydia; they can cause similar symptoms, but it's atypical for them. And if your wife has experienced UTIs previously and thinks that's what she has now, probably she is right. Third, your lack of symptoms is near-certain evidence you didn't acquire gonorrhea and moderately certain for chlamydia:  asymptomatic infection is more common for chlamydia, but as already noted, your risk for chlamydia was very low. Fourth, in regard to your personal situation, the negative dipstick urinalysis is good evidence you have no STI; and no urethral STI causes the the transient symptoms you describe (frequent urination and dribbling). This sounds like overactive bladder or conceivably a prostate problem.

So considering all those aspects, you can expect negative results on your STI testing; and you need not say anything to your wife or whoever she sees for her UTI symptoms.

I'll be happy to comment again if you'd like to post the outcomes of your test results and your wife's UTI evaluation. Note that we offer two follow-up exchanges -- so maybe best to hold off until then, unless something isn't clear with this response. Stay mellow in the meantime. All this is going to turn out OK.

HHH, MD
---
Avatar photo
44 months ago
Dr. thank you for your thoughtful and expert reply - I truly do appreciate it and will update a reply with the results once received.  i have one last thought / question. 

When you say 

"Second, UTIs are common in women and your wife's symptoms are more typical UTI than gonorrhea and chlamydia; they can cause similar symptoms, but it's atypical for them"

Can you please clarify the but it atypical for them. I started to really worry as when i researched online - when my wife mentioned that it burns on here uretha when she urinates vs it just burns - that when i find the Chlamydia pop ups on the search - does burning of the uretha during pee make a difference of UTI VS Chlamydia in female like lets say just burning sensation in general - does the uretha burning make any difference in your thoughts?  thank you once again

Avatar photo
H. Hunter Handsfield, MD
44 months ago
Your more detailed description of dysuria (the medical term for painful urination) reinforces exactly what I thought. 90% of women with UTI have dysuria; probably under 10% of those with gonorrhea or chlamydia have it. Even among women at risk for STI, dysuria is far more likely to be due to UTI than gon or chl. Also, note that your wife's symptoms is one of several other reasons that make STI. As noted above, it remains exceedingly unlikely you and/or your wife have gonorrhea or chlamydia, or that her symptoms are related to your sexual experience a few weeks back.

You seem to be a great example of internet searching by anxious persons -- selectively finding information that enhances your anxiety and missing the reassuring information that also is present. The now-famous statistician Nate Silver (www.fivethirtyeight.com) wrote a book, "The Signal and the Noise". In it he writes (apprxomiate quote) "Give an anxious person a computer with an internet connection in a dark room and soon he'll believe his cold is bubonic plague." Sound familar? I suggest you lay off the internet about all this, or at least limit searching to professional websites.

If you would like me to comment on your or your wife's results, let's hold off on further discussion until then.
---
---