Fingering Episode...Can I move on?

[AlwaysAWonderin']

Hey everyone, I've read a lot of this site and have been impressed with the knowledge of the Doc but also the regular posters...very reassuring info.

My situation is this...I'm a gay male and back on 09/04/06 I hired a massage therapist who fingered my anus for a minute or so.  This was at the end of the massage which lasted about an hour.  He used lotion and was rubbing his hands and fingers all over me prior to inserting his finger.  I didn't check his fingers for cuts, but also didn't see any blood on me later on.  At the time I didn't think anything about it, but since I am always thinking about stuff I've done, anxiety has started to build.

On 10/18/06 (44 days post exposure), I tested negative with the rapid HIV test (blood draw, not saliva).  I'm aware that more and more experts are saying 6 weeks provides high reliability (95% or greater) and further, I've read a few places that fingering is not a risk for HIV transmission and testing is not usually indicated.  For some reason I'm having a hard time with this.  To me, fingering is close to receptive anal sex 50/10,000 odds especially if any blood is present, but in reading some of the posts, the Doc seems to think otherwise and further can't point to any cases where fingering is ID'ed as the transmission route.  Any insight on this?  Obviously a finger is smaller than a penis and it certainly wasn't "rough" on me...less potential damage to the anus I suppose and again, I didn't see any blood.  Anyways, thanks for any thoughts/guidance.

[who_dis]

I don't think the doc would tell you there was any risk at all in what happened.  You had a negative test besides at close to 6 weeks.

I think there is a vast difference between a finger and a penis, by the way.  Unless he had an open wound that was gushing blood into your rectum, I think you'll be fine.

[cholny29]

I don't think there was a significant risk at all even to consider testing but I do understand that it is such a mental thing.  The doc says a single antibody test at 6-8 wks is pretty much conclusive.  Hang in there, I think you will be fine, I don't believe I have ever heard of anyone acquiring HIV that way.  If your mind can't put this at rest, which is understandable, get another test at 12 weeks for final closure.