STD Testing Procedures

[joeworried]

About 9 months ago I had an incident where I fingered a stripper with a cut on my finger.  I recently tested negative for HIV (EIA), syphilis (RPR), chlamydia, and gonorrhea.  The tests for HIV and syphilis were from blood drawn from a vein in my arm and are well past the testing window period, so I am very comfortable with those test results.  However, the tests for chlamydia and gonorrhea were from a swab interted into the end of my urethra.  I never had a discharge from my penis nor painful urination.

In addition to this incident 9 months ago, I had numerous incidents many years ago of fingering strippers and licking their vaginas.  I know the tests for HIV and syphilis are definitive and address any likelihood of contracting these STDs in the past, as this would have shown up in the blood tests.  I clearly do not have either disease.  My questions relate to the tests for chlamydia and gonorrhea.  

1.  Since my penis would not have been the point of entry into the body (it would have been either the cut finger or mouth), was the swab test simply a waste of money?  If so, are there any reliable blood tests that I could take?  Does it make any sense to pursue such tests (I have no obvious STD symptoms)?  

2.  If I had contracted chlamydia and gonorrhea in the past (several years ago), would it pose any risk to me now?  

3.  Should I simply let this issue go and move on with my life?

Your responses to these questions are appreciated.  You are providing a wonderful service.

[H. Hunter Handsfield, M.D.]

Based on your username, I'm pretty sure we your HIV/STD anxieties pretty well in a thread several weeks ago.

1) Swab testing for gonorrhea and chlamydia is just as accurrate as urine testing.  You can rely on the negative results.  2)  Even if you had gonorrhea or chlamydia that long ago and the testing missed it, the infection would have cleared up on its own by now.  3) YES!

HHH, MD

[Imdumb]

There is no STD you can get from fingering a women.  None.  Masturbation and mutual masturbation are 100% safe with zero STD risk of any kind.  With licking the vagina there is a therorectical risk of getting HSV1.  That would be extremely rare and if you have that (cold sores) you got it somewhere else, probably as a kid.  It isn't even really an STD.  There would be no way to prove how you got it.

You should just forget about it and know thay you did not put youself at risk in any way, shape, or form.  Even if you had cuts on your fingers.

[H. Hunter Handsfield, M.D.]

I misread part of your question.  AlwaysWorried is right; you could not have acquired a genital infection (or any other infection) from the exposure you describe.  However, most STD health care providers assume people are at risk due to other exposures, not necessarily described by the patient.  So testing you for urethral infection might have been justified.

Please no more questions based on the exposure you describe, which was zero risk for any STD.  I cannot help you further.

HHH, MD

[Radak]

When you responded "2) Even if you had gonorrhea or chlamydia that long ago and the testing missed it, the infection would have cleared up on its own by now.", did you mean that?
I have never read before that gonorrhea will run its course and clear up without treatment.

[H. Hunter Handsfield, M.D.]

I meant it.  Most infections--both sexually transmitted and otherwise--eventually clear up on their own.  (HIV and herpes are exceptions.)  In the pre-antibiotic era, 10% of people with the common form of bacterial pneumonia died--tragic for them, but 90% of cases cleared up on their own.  Same for gonorrhea and chlamydia.  Gonorrhea typically resolves without treatment in a few weeks, chlamydia probably 2-6 months.  The duration tends to be longer in women than men, but even in women,over 90% clear up within a year.

HHH, MD

[worryward]

Thanks for the clarification, Doctor. I've seen you made similar statement before, but wasn't quite sure what you meant by it. This clears things up for me.

[AlexAZ]

HSV-1 is an STD.  
  A man can easily acquire Herpes-1 either Orally or Genitally from an infected vagina.
  I, unfortunately, know this firsthand.

[Imdumb]

HSV-1 CAN be acquired sexually as well as non-sexually.  Most of the population has it and most of them got in throuh non sexual means.  It can be acquired on the genitals but that is not typical and fairly uncommon.

[Jason_mnl]

Dear Dr.,

You just mentioned that many STDs including gonorrhea could go away on its own. Is Trich one of them or capable to remain dormant in organism for many years?

[unfaithful76]

A related discussion, Refuse to test was started.

[gbucio1]

A related discussion, is the STD test painful was started.

[gotaquestion291]

A related discussion, tests? was started.