can i get HIV from *** on my dickhead?

Hi Doc,

Wanked off with a guy few weeks ago. The guy ejaculated on my dick. some of the cum were on my dick head. How high is the chance of getting HIV from that, let say it flows to the dick head opening? (i have no idea if he is positive and i have no open wounds or cuts on my dick). thanks.

[H. Hunter Handsfield, M.D.]

Welcome to the forum.  Thanks for your question.

Any risk from this sort of exposure is theoretical; I'm sure very few if any HIV infections have ever been acquired in this manner.  Hand-genital contact has never been known to transmit HIV, and undoubtedly many such exposures result in semen contact with the penis.

So I really wouldn't worry about this.  You might gain further reassurance if you can contact your partner and ask about his HIV status.  But even if you cannot do so, if this is your only potential exposure, I see no need for testing.

In the future, I would suggest that you never have sex of any kind with other men -- even safe sex like this -- without FIRST discussing mutual HIV status ahead of time, and avoiding contact or at least being very sure to stick with safe practices with those who are positive (and not on treatment), don't know, or are evasive about it.  Of course people can lie, or may have been infected since their last test -- but this still is a very important safe sex practice to reduce the chance of catching HIV.

Best wishes--  HHH, MD

[juju1982]

Thanks. So if the cum comes into contact of the dick head opening, is it likely to get infected?

Just wondering how does the guy who is penetrating get infected during intercourse? Is it because the fluid flow inside the dick head opening? If this is true, I am just worried that the cum may flow inside my dick head opening...

[H. Hunter Handsfield, M.D.]

With vaginal or anal sex, HIV probably is usually acquired by exposure of the urethral lining or, in uncircumcised men, the think skin of the head of the penis and under the foreskin.  But even with entirely unprotected anal or vaginal sex, lasting several minutes, the chance of catching HIV -- if the vaginal or anal partner is infected -- averages once for every 500 to 1000 exposures.

Nobody has been known to catch HIV from the sort of exposure you had. Surely there have been billions of exposures just like yours and you aren't likely to be the first.  The biological transmission issues really don't matter, it seems to me.

[juju1982]

So it is not that the cum or vaginal fluid flows into the dick head opening that caused the guy to be infected?
How will you rate the chances of me getting infected?

[H. Hunter Handsfield, M.D.]

"How will you rate the chances of me getting infected?"  Zero -- certainly less than one chance in many million.

Please accept the reasoned reassurance you ahve had and go on with your life.  You're of course free to be tested for HIV if my advice hasn't been sufficient to calm your fears about all this.

That will end this thread.  Take care.

[juju1982]

Hi Doc,
Can I ask why is it that you think the chance is zero? Theoretically the guy's semen landed on my dickhead, and I'm no even sure if any of the semen flows into the penis head opening. Think I will go for a test soon, but is only like 6 weeks since exposure

[H. Hunter Handsfield, M.D.]

I already said theoretically it could occur.  But you're still worrying about something that probably never has happened.

But feel free to get tested if you like.  Definitive results are available at 6 weeks (see http://www.medhelp.org/post/show/1704700.

That's definitely the end of this thread.  Whether or not your are tested for HIV, try to stop worrying and move on.  I won't have any more comments or advice.