Very Worried-Possible hiv risk

Dear Dr,

I had protected vaginal sex with a prostitute, but before, I masturbated her with my fingers. She seemed very clean, but you never know. Everything went right, but after having sex, I removed the condom and washed with soap my penis. The question is that I touched the tip of my penis (meatus) with same hand I masturbated the girl. My fingers were with soap, but I think some residues coming from the vagina were impregnating my fingers too. So, I washed the tip of the penis with a mixture of those liquids and soap. I am afraid of being infected by hiv or other std. The time elapsed between the masturbation event and the contact with my penis was 5 minutes or so. Please, was there any hiv risk?, should I test for hiv?
Thanks in advance for your response.

[Edward W Hook, MD]

Welcome back to our Forum. It is my pleasure to reassure you that there was absolutely no risk whatsoever from the encounter you describe above.  By way of background, it is unlikely that your partner had HIV.

Even if she did however, the exposure was no risk. As you know, condom protected vaginal sex is no risk.  In addition, the HIV virus is quite fragile and does not survive well when exposure to the environment, dying quickly on exposure to air.  In the presence of soap and/or water it dies even faster, almost immediately.  Finally, the are no instances in which HIV has been shown to be transmitted from person to person on another persons, or their own hands - not a single one.  This is true even though it is quite usual for persons involved in mutual masturbation to get each others' genital secretions on one another in the course of mutual masturbation.

Thus, to summarize, the exposure you describe did not put you at risk for HIV and there is no medical need for testing.

I hope my comments are helpful. EWH

[worried22231]

I appreciate very much your fast response. Your reassurance is very important to me. So, what I understand, is that dry (or almost dry) vaginal fluid on the fingers for 5 min and further contact with the tip of penis is not an hiv risk, right ?. Please, I would thank your answer on this last point.

[Edward W Hook, MD]

Dry or not, touching your penis with fingers that have an infected partners' genital secretions on them is still not a risk for HIV.  You do not need to worry.  EWH

[worried22231]

Thank you. One last issue. At present, I am following a treatment with isotretinoin for Acne, and the secondary effects say that it causes skin weakness. Could this facilitate the passage of hiv virus from hands contaminated with vaginal secretions to the urethra ? I promise you this is my last post.

[Edward W Hook, MD]

No, use of isoretinoin does not in any way change my assessment. Still no risk. EWH

[worried22231]

Sorry for this delayed question. After two weeks from the above-reported event I've got a mild sore throat (no fever or other symptons). I've also read that isotretinoin can weaken membranes, and I am freaking out, thinking that hand contaminated with vaginal fluid could in such conditions be a high hiv risk. Please, give me some advice. I thank you very much in advance.

[Edward W Hook, MD]

As I already told you., the expsoure you describe was no risk.  Your sore throat is a coincidnece and nothing more.  You are overstating the risk associated with isoretinoin.  EWH

[worried22231]

Thanks Dr Hook. I appreciate your advice. So, even in the worst scenario I've pictured above, a mild sore throat without a fever (no cold symptons), after 2 weeks from a low hiv risk situation, has nothing to to with ars, isn't it?
Congratulations for the great work you do in Medhelp, helping people to release their fears.

[worried22231]

Sorry I contact you again, but I've been with sore throat and tonsillitis for more than a week (no responding to antibiotics), exactly starting 2 weeks after my event of mutual masturbation. Have you ever seen this as the only symptom of ARS?. This keeps me very worried and depressed, because I cannot find any explanation for this extended period of sore throat. Thanks Doc.

[Edward W Hook, MD]

This will be your last answer.  The exposure you mentioned did not put you at risk for HIV.  You need to believe and understand this.  Your sore throat is a coincidence, nothing more.  EWH

[worried22231]

Thanks Doc for your reply. Without significant hiv risk and with only one only symptom of ars, I believe you this is merely a coincidence.