[Question #9881] HPV and other STDs/STIs transmission
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28 months ago
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I am an individual with no prior sex experiences or partners, who recently partook in sexual activities with a sex worker and I would like to know the STD/STI risks if any for the following activities that were done, forgive me for the vulgar usage of the terms. Throughout the entire session, she kept her underwear on covering her vagina, as I did not want any penetration services done.
1) Handjob, simply put she used her hand to masturbate my penis. Are there any STI or STD risks with an action like this?
2)Body to body massage, I have read that HPV among other STIs have a risk of spreading through close skin to skin contact.
3)Breast massage, where I insert my penis inbetween her breasts. Again with the research I have done, I came across multiple sources that discussed HPV spreading through skin to skin contact, and in this case my genital in contact with her skin.
4) Mouth to skin contact, I had actively 'kissed' and placed my mouth on various parts of her body (not the vagina), would this pose any risks?
5) Kissing, involving the tongue. I read that Syphillis and herpes have a chance of spreading through such means, is that true? If not are there other STDs/STIs that can spread through such means?
Finally, as I mentioned before there was absolutely no penetration acts done, and for the entire duration her vagina was covered with underwear in order to avoid any accidental genital-to-genital contact. There was however, a lot of close skin to skin contact which is what I am worried about.
I am mainly worried about the occurence of HPV, as seeing that she is a sex worker I imagine the chance of her having it is high, and as for me I am a 26 year old male with 0 previous sexual experience or partners so I would like to assume I did not have it prior to this experience.
1) Handjob, simply put she used her hand to masturbate my penis. Are there any STI or STD risks with an action like this?
2)Body to body massage, I have read that HPV among other STIs have a risk of spreading through close skin to skin contact.
3)Breast massage, where I insert my penis inbetween her breasts. Again with the research I have done, I came across multiple sources that discussed HPV spreading through skin to skin contact, and in this case my genital in contact with her skin.
4) Mouth to skin contact, I had actively 'kissed' and placed my mouth on various parts of her body (not the vagina), would this pose any risks?
5) Kissing, involving the tongue. I read that Syphillis and herpes have a chance of spreading through such means, is that true? If not are there other STDs/STIs that can spread through such means?
Finally, as I mentioned before there was absolutely no penetration acts done, and for the entire duration her vagina was covered with underwear in order to avoid any accidental genital-to-genital contact. There was however, a lot of close skin to skin contact which is what I am worried about.
I am mainly worried about the occurence of HPV, as seeing that she is a sex worker I imagine the chance of her having it is high, and as for me I am a 26 year old male with 0 previous sexual experience or partners so I would like to assume I did not have it prior to this experience.
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H. Hunter Handsfield, MD
28 months ago
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Welcome to the forum. Thanks for your confidence in our services.
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I'm sorry to hear your first sexual experience has caused this anxiety. There is no need. From the standpoint of STD risk, you didn't have sex at all. No STDs are transmitted by hand-genital contact, body to body contact, kissing, oral contact with breasts, or a partner's oral contact with skin anywhere on your body (not counting oral sex, but even that is low risk). Without penile penetration into another person's vagina, anus or mouth, there is no risk -- or sufficiently low risk to ignore it.
Since you are especially concerned about HPV, I suggest you get vaccinated before you have any more sexual experiences, and especially before you begin having intercourse (even with condoms). Three doses of vaccine over 6 months is the standard regimen, but protection is actually complete by 4 weeks after the second dose, i.e. 2 months after starting the vaccine series. Discuss it with your doctor. Immunization will give you 100% protection against the 9 types of HPV that together cause 90% of potentially important health outcomes, i.e. genital warts and genital and throat cancers. You'll still get HPV -- there are more than 100 other HPV types aside from those prevented by vaccination. However, you'll never know it. HPV is inevitable in all sexually active persons, even those who plan lifelong monogamy someday; over 90% of all people become infected at one time or another.
When you do start having real sex, be aware that except for HPV even the most sexually active women (e.g female sex workers) do not have active, transmissible STDs at any point in time. Of course you should use condoms when the opportunity arises, but even without condoms most sexual events result in no STD transmission.
I hope these comments are helpful. Let me know if anything isn't clear.
HHH, MD
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28 months ago
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Thank you so much for clearing that up Doctor, I have a few follow-up questions:
1)In regards to the STD risk, particularly HPV, I have read in many sources online that skin to skin contact poses a risk for transmission. Is this false, or is just a neglible chance through said method?
2)As for with kissing , I have read it poses a risk for Syphillis and also HPV, is this true? If so are the chances high or low?
3)Finally, I was looking into getting an HPV vaccine, however I also read online that the effects of the vaccine are not as strong in adults, and in most cases i have read it is not advised for those over the age of 25. Considering I am 26 years old, should I still take it?
1)In regards to the STD risk, particularly HPV, I have read in many sources online that skin to skin contact poses a risk for transmission. Is this false, or is just a neglible chance through said method?
2)As for with kissing , I have read it poses a risk for Syphillis and also HPV, is this true? If so are the chances high or low?
3)Finally, I was looking into getting an HPV vaccine, however I also read online that the effects of the vaccine are not as strong in adults, and in most cases i have read it is not advised for those over the age of 25. Considering I am 26 years old, should I still take it?
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H. Hunter Handsfield, MD
28 months ago
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1) "Skin to skin" contact in regard to STDs does not mean any and all skin contact like shaking hands, body rubbing, and the like risk STDs. The term only distinguishes those infections transmitted primarily by genital fluids (e.g. gonorrhea, chlamydia, HIV) and those transmitted by skin contact (syphilis, herpes, HPV). With rare exceptions, all of them require intercourse itself. At a practical level, this mainly means that condoms are less protective against skin-skin transmission (because of skin contact above the condom) than STDs transmitted by fluids.
2) You need to distinguish theoretical risks from ones that occur with any measurable frequency in the real world. Kissing undoubted can transmit these infections, but there have been few if any proved cases of HIV transmitted by sexual kissing between adults, and such transmission for syphilis is extremely rare. Many health education resources don't make these distinction, so it's easy to gain the impression that kissing is almost as risky as vaginal or anal sex.
3) Biologically, the HPV vaccine produces lower antibody levels in adults than in young persons. However, it is still 100% protective regardless of age. The original FDA approval for HPV vaccine was for people up to age 26, but that was only because older persons had not yet been studied. The current recommendation is for everyone up to age 26, and for others (put to age 45) whose sexual lifestyles put them at risk for acquiring the virus -- which certainly includes you.
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28 months ago
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Thank you Doctor, I have already contacted and planning on booking my HPV vaccine appointment.
One last question that might deem repetitive, would it be safe to say that skin-to-skin contact such as penis to breasts or penis to hands, poses 0 risk for HPV?
I am indeed mostly worried about HPV due to its associated risks with cancer.
One last question that might deem repetitive, would it be safe to say that skin-to-skin contact such as penis to breasts or penis to hands, poses 0 risk for HPV?
I am indeed mostly worried about HPV due to its associated risks with cancer.
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28 months ago
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And to follow up, when I say penis to breast i do not mean brief and quick contact. I mean it inthe sense that the breasts were used to massage the penis over a duration.
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H. Hunter Handsfield, MD
28 months ago
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There is zero risk for any and all STDs by penile contact with any body area other than the genital or anal area. Penis-breast contact is safe no matter how vigorous or prolonged it might be.
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Yes, HPV causes cancer. But it is responsible for a very small number of serious or fatal cases. Forty percent of people in the US will die of cancer; HPV will account for only a very small proportion of them. And you can't avoid HPV anyway; all sexually active people eventually are infected. It is a normal, expected, unavoidable consequence of being sexual. (Look around among your friends, co-workers, and others you know. You can safely assume 90% of them have or will acquire HPV, most of them more than once. Almost none will die of HPV related malignancies.) So go ahead with your plans for immunization, which will reduce your chance of an HPV related cancer by 90%. After that, just to with the flow; HPV risk should not be a consideration in your subsequent sexual choices after immunization
That completes the two follow-up comments included with each question and so ends this thread. I hope the discussion has been helpful. Best wishes and stay safe.
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