STD help...

[1reckdec]

Hello,
I am a 35yo male and have sexually been active with only one partner all my life. I have recently been going through personal crisis and made a reckless decision to visit an escort on July 31. We had protected both oral and vaginal sex. The vaginal sex probably lasted for less than 2 mins. We didn't kiss except for a few pecks on the lips. I am very concerned that I might have contracted an STD as a result of this encounter. Here are my questions:

1) What is the likelyhood of me having contracted any STD, specifically
    -Herpes: I had checked her to confirm that she didn't have any visible sores/blisters. What is the risk of getting HSV1/HSV2. Also, if I don't see a breakout with in 7-10 days, can I assume that I am safe?

    -HIV - Given that we used a condom, my assumption is that the risk of transmission is very low.

2) I want to get myself fully tested as soon as possible for any possible STD's. How long do I have to wait for the test to be effective.

Thanks for the help.

[Edward W Hook, MD]

Welcome to our Forum. The exposure you describe was virtually no risk.  Most people do not have STIs of any sort (including HIV) and even when they do, most STIs are not transmitted following a single exposure.  In your case, the use of a condom reduces any risk that might be present to virtually zero.  

As for your specific questions:
1) What is the likelyhood of me having contracted any STD, specifically
    -Herpes: I had checked her to confirm that she didn't have any visible sores/blisters. What is the risk of getting HSV1/HSV2. Also, if I don't see a breakout within 7-10 days, can I assume that I am safe?

If you do not see typical lesions of HSV within 14 days of your exposure (not 7), you can be confident that you did not get HSV.  No other testing is needed and in fact, we recommend against it as current blood tests in persons at low risk such as yourself are often misleading due to falsely positive  results.

    -HIV - Given that we used a condom, my assumption is that the risk of transmission is very low.

Not "very low" but effectively zero.

2) I want to get myself fully tested as soon as possible for any possible STD's. How long do I have to wait for the test to be effective.

The most common STIs, and thus the ones you should test for are gonorrhea and chlamydia.  You can test for these and get accurate results at any time more than 2-3 days after an exposure.  Testing for HIV (which you do not need) using antibody tests is not completely reliable until 8 weeks after exposure.   Syphilis testing is reliable 4-6 weeks after exposure but again is not a meaningful concern

I hope these comments are helpful.  I really see little reason for you to worry.  EWH

[Edward W Hook, MD]

I see no reason for testing for gonorrhea or chlamydia, given the fact that your exposure was condom protected.  

As for your questions about HSV, the internet has a tendency to take facts and "spin" them in such a way that they get blown entirely out of proportion.  While HSV, when transmitted (and this is rare), can be transmitted by persons without visible lesions, this is quite rare and typically leads to visible lesions.  further, over 85% of HSV lesions in men occur on the penis, again explaining the great effectiveness of condoms for preventing HSV.  As I said earlier, if you do not develop lesions, I see no reason for concern (or testing) for HSV.

I would not worry if I were you.  EWH

[1reckdec]

Thanks Doc, I appreciate you getting back so quickly. Your comments have definitely helped put my mind at ease. The internet has been a very scary place for the last couple of days and most sites that I have visited made it look almost eminent that I would contract a STI (especially the HSV2 virus). I am very grateful for the support that you and your team provides on this forum.

A few follow up questions, regarding gonorrhea and chlamydia. Do you recommend that I get tested for it? What is the likelihood to contract this while using a condom?

Also, based on some of the research on the internet, there is risk of transferring HSV even when using a condom because it spreads through skin to skin contact and the condom doesn't cover all the areas such as the scrotum. Also, even if there is no visible signs of HSV the virus might still be active due to 'virus shedding'. Is this accurate? If so, what would be the chance that it would be transmitted during this time period.

Lastly, are there any symptoms that I need to watch out for over the next couple of weeks that would indicate a STI?

Again, thanks for all your help.