What are the Risks?

[daddyoh]

Dr. Rockoff,

I occasionally visit massage parlours (aka body rubs/rub & tug),

and am wondering:

What if any chance is there of contracting hsv/hpv from the woman's hands to my genital area or any area for that matter?

Thanks.

[madgeOwens]

I have been trying to get an answer concerning bacitracin inserted into nose for staph colonies causing boils elsewhere. Will it cause Lipid Pneumonia?????????

[Alan Rockoff, MD]

Small.  To transmit herpes, she would need to have an open herpes sore on the finger, which exists but is uncommon, and it's obvious so you would see it.  As for HPV warts, people get hand warts all the time, and if you could transmit them to the groin by touching, almost everyone would have them just from showering, but they don't.

So I can't give you an absolute assurance of no risk, but overall I think what rash there is is small if the only contact is hand rubbing and there are no open lesions on the hands.

Best.

Dr. Rockoff