Risk from single exposure

[64d]

Hello,

I am a 27 year old male, I had drunken unprotected penis-vaginal sex with a 24 year old women last weekend. She claims she has no STDs. I have a few questions about my exposure:

1. How long do I have to wait to get tested for the STDs that I may have been exposed to?
2. Statistically, what are the risks for a single encounter for each of well studied STDs (assuming the partner is infected)?
3. If she is telling the truth, which STDs could she have and not know it.

Thanks for considering these questions for me, just worried because I certainly know that I should have used a condom and really feel pretty stupid about what I did.  I also do not want to spread anything to anyone else. Thanks for your time.

[64d]

Sorry for posting a bad question

[Edward W Hook, MD]

We are getting to far into 'what if" questions here which is beyond the scope and pupose of this Forum.  This will be your last answer.

Having prior HSV-1 probably reduces the risk of getting HSV-2 later but not too much.  As a reuslt it is not uncommon to see peole who have both HSV-1 and HSV-2.  

This thread is now over.

EWH

[64d]

One final question, and thanks again.

Is there any evidence that a prior infection with oral HSV-1 would reduce the chances of contracting genital HSV-2? In other words, since the virus's are very similar, does the body have any enhanced immune response? I used to get cold sores a lot on my lip, and was wondering if that offers any enhance protection, on a statistical basis against genital HSV-2. Is it common for people to contract both types?

[64d]

I believe I was, and its also likely that she was too. Thanks for your help.

[Edward W Hook, MD]

No, it is rare at this time. HAve you been vaccinated for hepatitis B? If so, then you have no need to worry. EWH

[64d]

Thanks for your very prompt reply.

Do you consider Hepatitis B a serious concern from my exposure as well?

[Edward W Hook, MD]

Welcome to the Forum.  Your questions are good ones.  This risk of any person having an STD depend in part on how many recent partners they have had, who those partners might have been, whether they have used condoms in those exposures or not and, most importantly, how recently they have been tested.   All STDs can be present and unnoticed or totally asymptomatic. For this reason for women in North America under that age of 24, it is recommended that they be tested each year for chlamydial infection.  At the time of testing tests for gonorrhea, trichomonas, HIV and syphilis are sometimes but not always done.   In addition, even if you had a single exposure to an infected partner, your risk of infection is low.  About 80% of exposures to infected partners DO NOT lead to transmission of that infection.  Thus, in answer to your questions:

1.  Testing can be reliably performed 2-3 days following exposure.  This is even earlier than someone who had gotten infected might develop symptoms, if they were going to develop.
2.  See above.  No greater than 1 in 5 exposures to infected partners lead to transmission of infection and that is for the most efficiently transmitted infections, gonorrhea and chlamydia.  Other infections like herpes and HIV are transmitted even less often.
3.  See above.  Statistically chlamydia is most common.  Gonorrhea is uncommon.  Syphilis is quite rare, as is HIV.  

Hope these comments are helpful to you.  When you seek testing, I would suggest you also be sure to be tested for nongonococcal urethritis which is also common and can be caused by a lot of different bacteria  NGU is tested for by looking for white blood cells in a urine specimen collected just as you begin to urinate or a swab from the penis. Both specimens are best if you have not voided for at least an hour before the specimens are collected.

My advice would be to go to your local STD clinic for testing. They are expert, highly confidential and readily affordable.  EWH