[Question #930] Fingering & HIV transmission

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103 months ago
Is there any risk of HIV or STD transmission if after rigorously fingering a woman (assuming she has HIV) then some time afterwards  you inadvertently pick at a scab on your own body with the same hand/fingers and this leads to bleeding?
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Edward W. Hook M.D.
103 months ago

Welcome to our Forum. this is a frequent question.  I'm please to assure you that IF your partner has HIV (which statistically is doubtful unless there is something you haven't mentioned), there is NO risk for acquiring HIV from masturbating her ("fingering") her.  this is the case even if she has (menstrual) blood present or if you have a sore on your hand, finger or cuticle problems- still zero risk.  There has NEVER been a case in which HIV has been transmitted from person to person through masturbation.  This is the reason that even otherwise rather cautious and conservative groups such as the CDC have stated that mutual masturbation (including fingering) with an HIV infected person is a NO risk event. 

If you have fingered an HIV infected person, I can unequivocally say there is no reason for concern, no reason for testing.

I hope this reply is helpful to you.  Take care.  EWH

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103 months ago
Thank you for the reassurance Doctor Hook. The woman concerned was a stripper in a Central American city and could have been a sex worker, I have no idea on that or her status regarding HIV or other STDs. A lap dance turned into nipple sucking and vaginal masturbation. I've seen much information regarding the little or no risk of acquiring HIV or other STDs from sucking nipples, and genital/hand contact so I am relaxed about that-  I wasn't wanting to waste your time having you replay this. However I haven't been able to read anything on whether virus could remain live in her vaginal secretions on my fingers and/or under my nails and whether this could infect me later when I caused bleeding from the picking of a wound scab on my arm with the same hand/fingers I had used masturbating the woman. I never washed my hands prior to causing the bleeding some 20-30 mins later. I have read that HIV and other viruses do not survive very long outside the body so I am guessing there will be little or no risk of infection this way?


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Edward W. Hook M.D.
103 months ago
The HIV virus is quite fragile.  Once outside the body it very quickly becomes non-viable and there is no risk of becoming infected through the transfer of vaginal secretions to your wound/scab on your hands.  None at all.  this was a no risk event.  No need for concern and no need for testing.  EWH
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