oncern with genital-hand-genital transmission of genital HPV / herpes

[JasonH9779]

A couple of nights ago I received a lap dance. I'm getting married soon, and this resulted in some friends taking me out, and after too many drinks I agreed to get a dance.

When the dance started she had used a small piece of fabric to cover my crotch area. She seemed to be going quite hard with a lot of pressure (I'm not sure if this is normal) This applied pressure to my bladder and I had to end the dance and go to the washroom. Without thinking I went without washing my hands first.
The reason this concerns me is because I believe that I may have accidentally touched her genital area when she wasn't facing me (though I'm not sure). Also I had for sure touched her inner thighs. While there were no visible warts or anything I'm not sure if that can transmit genital HPV.

how long can genital HPV live on one's hands? I've read that it lasts about ten seconds outside of the body, and a "very short time" if in a warm damp spot. My hands were relatively dry but certainly warm as they mostly sat on her hips.

Second is the pressure that I had mentioned… I had read that to transmit genital HPV it requires there to be micro abrasions on the genitals of the uninfected for it to pass in to. There was likely a minute or two between when I had touched my penis going to the washroom and when I had last touched her anywhere. And if I had indeed brushed her genitalia it would have been at least a couple of minutes before hand.

Does this sound as though I am at risk for genital HPV? I've read that lap dances have not resulted in an infection, but could this?

I don't know if I seem paranoid, but my wife to be has had a condition that would make her more susceptible to cervical cancer and after this incident it has weighed on me heavily.

My most sincere thanks to whomever can help me.

[H. Hunter Handsfield, M.D.]

You found another message with exactly what I would have said.  Good show.  Thanks for the thanks-- I'm glad to have been of help.

[JasonH9779]

I just found this in another one of your comments that clarifies on the hand-genital transmission concern:
"It is likely that some genital HPV infections are acquired by hand-to-genital contact.  However, it is rare.  For any single encounter, the chance it will happen is very low, probalby under one chance in many thousand."

This relieves my concerns greatly. I assume what you had written to this fellow would apply to my situation as well?

Thanks very much. Happy Easter :-)

[JasonH9779]

Hi and thanks very much for your reply.
I have read that there is some possibility of transmitting from genital to hand and back to genital but that apparently is immediate contact and for example along with some vaginal fluid (I know it doesn't transfer in vaginal fluid itself but the moist conditions make it possible for it to live long enough to infect someone else in this way)… that clearly isn't the case with what I describe. Do you believe that all the stuff out there about hand to genital transmission is false, or that it simply doesn't apply in my case?
Again thanks very much for your response.

[H. Hunter Handsfield, M.D.]

Welcome to the forum.

STDs, including HSV and HPV, are not transmitted by hand-genital contact.  It doesn't matter "how long can genital HPV live on one's hands" -- the virus is not transmitted this way.  Your wife will not be at increased risk of HIV, or of future cervical cancer, on account of this incident.

Really, don't worry. There's no need.

Best wishes--  HHH, MD