Aa
Semenal exposure?
Doctor,
About a week ago I stopped at a gas station during a long drive. I went to the bathroom to wipe some gum that had gotten on my shoe and the side of my leg as I stepped out of the car. I noticed in the bathroom that a splotch of something gel-like had gotten onto my shorts. The most obvious assumption was that it was soap from the dispenser that had missed my hand but I smelled it and it wasn't obvious what it was (and the soap did have a distinct odor). I feel that it may have been semen.
Anyway, I got out for another stop after having sat in the back of the car for another 2 hours or so and went to the restroom. I noticed what looked like dried semen on my penis. I suppose it could have been dried skin but it wiped away rather easily and there was no sign of dryness afterwards. I figure I might have gotten it onto my penis while urinating in the previous bathroom. Perhaps I had come into contact with semen in the public restroom (as shown by my splotch on the pants) and had accidently touched it to my penis while peeing afterwards. Perhaps a little far fetched, but it really did look like dried semen, it's hard to convince myself it was anything else.
My question is. Is there a theoretical risk from a moderate (enough to leave behind a little layer of dried crust) amount of semen resting on my penis for some time? I am uncircumsized and I have vitiligo on my foreskin so I have used Elidel and similar drugs for long period at a time in the past that may have thinned my foreskin. I know that the foreskin is known to be more sensitive to transmission and I am afraid that semen on my foreskin (that is where the alleged dried stuff was) that had been weakened by skin creams, plus the fact that it likely came in contact with my urethra at some point plus the fact that I surely became at least somewhat aroused during the time that the semen was on my penis (I was in the back of a car letting my thoughts wander for a couple of hours, so I figure that maybe some semen could have gotten under my foreskin [i hear this is an independept risk factor] during arrousal) could have caused some major risk. PLUS I have a lot of those little whitehead like things (I forget the name but I believe that they are normal) on my penis, including up to the spot where the semen was, I don't know if they are a viable risk/transmission increaser. Is there reason to worry? It seems like the risk from a non-educated perspective would be only a few steps below unprotected sex with added risks due to foreskin.
ocd_b
About a week ago I stopped at a gas station during a long drive. I went to the bathroom to wipe some gum that had gotten on my shoe and the side of my leg as I stepped out of the car. I noticed in the bathroom that a splotch of something gel-like had gotten onto my shorts. The most obvious assumption was that it was soap from the dispenser that had missed my hand but I smelled it and it wasn't obvious what it was (and the soap did have a distinct odor). I feel that it may have been semen.
Anyway, I got out for another stop after having sat in the back of the car for another 2 hours or so and went to the restroom. I noticed what looked like dried semen on my penis. I suppose it could have been dried skin but it wiped away rather easily and there was no sign of dryness afterwards. I figure I might have gotten it onto my penis while urinating in the previous bathroom. Perhaps I had come into contact with semen in the public restroom (as shown by my splotch on the pants) and had accidently touched it to my penis while peeing afterwards. Perhaps a little far fetched, but it really did look like dried semen, it's hard to convince myself it was anything else.
My question is. Is there a theoretical risk from a moderate (enough to leave behind a little layer of dried crust) amount of semen resting on my penis for some time? I am uncircumsized and I have vitiligo on my foreskin so I have used Elidel and similar drugs for long period at a time in the past that may have thinned my foreskin. I know that the foreskin is known to be more sensitive to transmission and I am afraid that semen on my foreskin (that is where the alleged dried stuff was) that had been weakened by skin creams, plus the fact that it likely came in contact with my urethra at some point plus the fact that I surely became at least somewhat aroused during the time that the semen was on my penis (I was in the back of a car letting my thoughts wander for a couple of hours, so I figure that maybe some semen could have gotten under my foreskin [i hear this is an independept risk factor] during arrousal) could have caused some major risk. PLUS I have a lot of those little whitehead like things (I forget the name but I believe that they are normal) on my penis, including up to the spot where the semen was, I don't know if they are a viable risk/transmission increaser. Is there reason to worry? It seems like the risk from a non-educated perspective would be only a few steps below unprotected sex with added risks due to foreskin.
ocd_b
sorry about that last "?" but i'm a little worried still.. i guess i'd appreciate any advise or comments from anyone. give it to me straight.
sorry about that last "?" but i'm a little worried still.. should i go for more advice on the doctor moderated forum?
No, there is no reason to worry. You dont even know it was semen, which I think is very unlikely. You say you smelled it? Surely you know what semen smells like? It was probably the soap as you thought originally. Anyways, even if it was, it never would have been able to transmit to you in the situation you describe. HIV has poor survivability outside the body, and it takes a substantial number of virus' to establish a new infection. You are at 0 risk.
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