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Hand Jobs: From A Woman's Perspective
Dear Doctor
I have a hand job question. This one, however, has a feminine twist. I’ve read most of the archived posts on this topic and very few, if any, are from a woman’s perspective. Most hand job questions on this forum are from anxiety-ridden men who received hand jobs from either a man or woman. A woman’s anatomy is different and because of this, I wonder if a woman is more likely to become infected with herpes from a hand job.
My Background:
I received manual stimulation (massaging of the vagina) for 5-10 minutes two days ago. The guy who gave it to me has herpes simplex II. He’s not on suppressive medicine and has outbreaks every three months. He touched himself a few times shortly before touching me but did not ejaculate (I assume it was with the same hand that touched me). The next day he experienced prodome symptoms and suspects an outbreak is imminent. Therefore, he was likely shedding when he stimulated me (and touched himself).
Given the fact that a woman’s vagina is more susceptible to acquiring herpes, how likely is it that I might become infected from this encounter? This situation is compounded by the fact that I shaved my genital area earlier that day (a few razor nicks were present), thereby creating entry portals for the virus.
I am extremely worried. Could you tell me about my chances of acquiring herpes is from this encounter? How worried should I be? Do you have any transmission percentages for this type of exposure?
Very anxious...
I have a hand job question. This one, however, has a feminine twist. I’ve read most of the archived posts on this topic and very few, if any, are from a woman’s perspective. Most hand job questions on this forum are from anxiety-ridden men who received hand jobs from either a man or woman. A woman’s anatomy is different and because of this, I wonder if a woman is more likely to become infected with herpes from a hand job.
My Background:
I received manual stimulation (massaging of the vagina) for 5-10 minutes two days ago. The guy who gave it to me has herpes simplex II. He’s not on suppressive medicine and has outbreaks every three months. He touched himself a few times shortly before touching me but did not ejaculate (I assume it was with the same hand that touched me). The next day he experienced prodome symptoms and suspects an outbreak is imminent. Therefore, he was likely shedding when he stimulated me (and touched himself).
Given the fact that a woman’s vagina is more susceptible to acquiring herpes, how likely is it that I might become infected from this encounter? This situation is compounded by the fact that I shaved my genital area earlier that day (a few razor nicks were present), thereby creating entry portals for the virus.
I am extremely worried. Could you tell me about my chances of acquiring herpes is from this encounter? How worried should I be? Do you have any transmission percentages for this type of exposure?
Very anxious...
MEDICAL PROFESSIONAL
As I said, I'm not saying it cannot occur, only that if it happens at all, it is so rare that most STD specialists have ever seen a case of genital herpes in someone whose only contact had been fingering etc. It would be reasonable to ask your HSV-2-infected partner to keeps his hands away from his own genitals during such exposures, if he is having a herpes outbreak. But for practical purposes, any risk for genital herpes from this fellow will come if and when you start having intercourse with him.
Symptoms of initial herpes usually show up in 3-5 days, occasionally as long as 2 or even 3 weeks. It is often is asymptomatic -- but probably not very often in people who are especially concerned and whose antennas are up for even mild symptoms.
It would take an hour's writing to properly address varying attitudes about genital herpes. The brief response is that most people have mild and infrequent symptoms, so that from one standpoint it's usually not serious, and with proper management and attitude genital herpes need not have a major impact on lifestyle, rewarding sex, romance, etc. However, a small percent of people are seriously affected, with frequent, painful, and difficult to control outbreaks; there is always the small risk of very serious outcomes, like transmission to a newborn; and the psychological impact of all this can be great. It also depends on virus type, with HSV-1 causing fewer outbreaks and lower likelihood of transmission to partners than HSV-2. For more detail than this, you'll have to do your own research.
That will be all for this thread. Take care.
Symptoms of initial herpes usually show up in 3-5 days, occasionally as long as 2 or even 3 weeks. It is often is asymptomatic -- but probably not very often in people who are especially concerned and whose antennas are up for even mild symptoms.
It would take an hour's writing to properly address varying attitudes about genital herpes. The brief response is that most people have mild and infrequent symptoms, so that from one standpoint it's usually not serious, and with proper management and attitude genital herpes need not have a major impact on lifestyle, rewarding sex, romance, etc. However, a small percent of people are seriously affected, with frequent, painful, and difficult to control outbreaks; there is always the small risk of very serious outcomes, like transmission to a newborn; and the psychological impact of all this can be great. It also depends on virus type, with HSV-1 causing fewer outbreaks and lower likelihood of transmission to partners than HSV-2. For more detail than this, you'll have to do your own research.
That will be all for this thread. Take care.
Thanks for your reply. Very reassuring.
A couple of quick follow ups:
-Why can't a hand job transmit herpes (if the person is shedding/experiencing an outbreak) and then touches someone else's genitals? Is it the amount of virus? Would like to know more about this.
.-If an outbreak would to occur, how long would it take to surface? What percentage of inital transmissions are extremely mild or asymtomatic?
-Based on your experience, do you think contracting herpes is a big deal? Some say yes, others, no. Where does this virus stand, in terms of importance, etc., in your eyes as a doctor
Thanks a lot. Have a nice day.
A couple of quick follow ups:
-Why can't a hand job transmit herpes (if the person is shedding/experiencing an outbreak) and then touches someone else's genitals? Is it the amount of virus? Would like to know more about this.
.-If an outbreak would to occur, how long would it take to surface? What percentage of inital transmissions are extremely mild or asymtomatic?
-Based on your experience, do you think contracting herpes is a big deal? Some say yes, others, no. Where does this virus stand, in terms of importance, etc., in your eyes as a doctor
Thanks a lot. Have a nice day.
MEDICAL PROFESSIONAL
Welcome to the STD forum.
On one level, your concerns are valid: You are correct that, in general, women are more susceptible to STDs, if exposed, than men are. This is because her male partners' semen is deposited deep inside the body, and also because the external genitals are covered with thinner tissues. On the other hand, this doesn't necessarily translate to increased susceptiblity through hand-genital contact. If there is a higher risk than in men, it is probably not by much, and still extremely low.
This isn't only theoretical. If you speak to any health professionals with experience in STD clinics, they will echo exactly my experience -- that is, have never once seen a patient who presented with herpes, gonorrhea, syphilis, chlamydia, etc and who also said his or her only potential exposure was by hand-genital contact. With almost no exceptions (I can recall no exceptions in 30+ years in a busy clinic), every infected person has had vaginal, anal or, less commonly, oral intercourse. Does this mean hand-genital transmission cannot occur? Probably not, and I imagine there have been some cases from time to time. Indeed, this is a common theory to explain some genital HPV infections in virgins. But if it occurs with infections other than HPV, it is exceedingly rare. And despite the speculation about hand-genital contact and HPV, to my knowledge I have never seen a virgin patient with warts in my STD clinic.
For these reasons, I conclude that you are at no measurable risk of acquring genital herpes from the encounter you are concerned about. I don't recommend testing, and do recommend you sto worrying about it.
I hope this helps. Best wishes-- HHH, MD
On one level, your concerns are valid: You are correct that, in general, women are more susceptible to STDs, if exposed, than men are. This is because her male partners' semen is deposited deep inside the body, and also because the external genitals are covered with thinner tissues. On the other hand, this doesn't necessarily translate to increased susceptiblity through hand-genital contact. If there is a higher risk than in men, it is probably not by much, and still extremely low.
This isn't only theoretical. If you speak to any health professionals with experience in STD clinics, they will echo exactly my experience -- that is, have never once seen a patient who presented with herpes, gonorrhea, syphilis, chlamydia, etc and who also said his or her only potential exposure was by hand-genital contact. With almost no exceptions (I can recall no exceptions in 30+ years in a busy clinic), every infected person has had vaginal, anal or, less commonly, oral intercourse. Does this mean hand-genital transmission cannot occur? Probably not, and I imagine there have been some cases from time to time. Indeed, this is a common theory to explain some genital HPV infections in virgins. But if it occurs with infections other than HPV, it is exceedingly rare. And despite the speculation about hand-genital contact and HPV, to my knowledge I have never seen a virgin patient with warts in my STD clinic.
For these reasons, I conclude that you are at no measurable risk of acquring genital herpes from the encounter you are concerned about. I don't recommend testing, and do recommend you sto worrying about it.
I hope this helps. Best wishes-- HHH, MD
You are reading content posted in the STDs Forum
Herpes spreads by oral, vaginal and anal sex.
Herpes sores blister, then burst, scab and heal.
STIs are the most common cause of genital sores.
Millions of people are diagnosed with STDs in the U.S. each year.
STDs can't be transmitted by casual contact, like hugging or touching.
Syphilis is an STD that is transmitted by oral, genital and anal sex.
