Am I being paranoid?

[iamworriedsick]

I think I am being paranoid, but I wanted a professional to either confirm this for me or let me know that my fear is factually based.  I was in an adult video arcade.  I witnessed two men pleasure and perform with their mouths on each other.  I quickly stopped watching this and continued watching the video in my booth.  I then 3 - 5 minutes later after witnessing the two men went to the bathroom they were in and finished myself off which was vacated when I entered it.  While in the bathroom, one of the two men I saw earlier came in the bathroom and touched me for maybe 3 to 7 seconds maximimum even though I told him to stop from the beginning, and I turned away from him, too.  I did not feel anything wet on his hands (based on what I briefly saw him doing earlier, he could have had body fluids/residue on his hands though again I did not feel anything wet from his fingers for that short time 3 - 7 second timeframe).  So, I cleaned up when I was finished.  I did not see any fluids from him in that area.  This involved me soaping up my pelvic area where he touched me with lots of soft soap and water and then washing/wiping it up, and I left.  I am concerned because: A.  What if his fingers were soiled and touched my urethra somehow though I don't believe he touched me there B. What if his fingers were soiled and touched a very small pimple that had not yet burst that was on my lower abdomen where he first touched me.  Does A or B or anything in this scenario represent a risk for HIV transmission?  Thank you so much for your help in advance.

[H. Hunter Handsfield, M.D.]

I don't think you're paranoid, just uncertain and a little frightened.  But you can completely relax.  HIV is never transmitted by the hands or by hand-to-genital contact, even if the hands are contaminated with HIV-infected secretions.  That's never.  The event you describe did not place you at any risk for any STD.

I hope that helps.  Best wishes--  HHH, MD