The same towel being used I'm going to get HIV

[salim5917]

Dear Doctor Please help with your advise:

I went to a massage place 1 week ago and I did a massage their without and sex activates but I have noticed 2 things 1- They didn't change the towel which I was laying on for 1 hour naked which the same one been used for the previous customer and the time between 2 customers was around 15 minutes and I don’t remember if the towel was wet or has his penis fluid or wet on that  towel 2- after I did finish the massage I have noticed small open wounds on my penis . Next day morning ( 12 hours later after that massage ) I was nervous and I went quickly to do HIV Rapid test which came positive then I did another Elisa test in the same day and came negative and he did western Bloat 2 days later and came negative, the doctor told me not to be worried  as far as Elisa and W.B. came negatives. do you think I got HIV infection from touching other person fluid if he HIV infected and do you think the 1st Rapid test was false positive?

[Edward W Hook, MD]

Welcome to our Forum.  typically in massage parlors the towels and sheets are changed as soon as clients leave the room to prepare for the next client.  If the massage parlor you went to did not do that, I wouldn't go back.  Despite the unpleasant thought of not knowing who might have used the towel before you or what sort of material or secretions they might have left on the towel, I can tell you with complete confidence that HIV is not transmitted this way, even in persons who might have open sores (from friction?) on their genitals.  This was no risk.  No one has EVER gotten HIV from contact with a piece of contaminated toweling or clothing and I am confident that you will not be the first.

With regard to your testing, I am sorry to hear of your false positive rapid test (and that is what it was).  Even ELISA tests very rarely have false positive results.  Your doctor did just the right thing to re-test you and send off a Western blot.  The results that you mention PROVE that the rapid test result was a false positive and that you did not have HIV at that time.

I hop[e these comments are helpful to you.  Take care.  EWH

[Edward W Hook, MD]

No, there is no relationship between your false positive test and your visit to the massage parlor.  A few hours is too soon for any test for HIV antibodies to be positive.  Most blood test results take about 6 to 8 weeks to give reliable results.  In your case however, it does not matter whether you are tested 10 minute, 10 days, 10 weeks or 10 years after this exposure, the test will not be positive because of the exposure you described.  There was NO RISK!!!!!  Spending your money on additional tests is a waste of time.  you do not need testing at all.  EWH

[salim5917]

Dear Doctor

To add 1 more thing please ( the last unprotected sex  I had was 7 months ago)

Thanks for being so kind with me.

Kind Regards
Salim

[Edward W Hook, MD]

I agree.  Take care.  EWH

[salim5917]

Dear Doctor

Million thanks for your honest and true advise,  I think I should move on and forget about the that false positive which I had one day.

Kind Regards

[salim5917]

Dear Doctor
Thank you very much for your opinion and support, but do you think their is any relation between the false positive result and the Massage which I did ( 12 hours the time between the test and the massage) or it is too soon to show if got HIV infected? Plus honestly I was extra worried about my health today so I went early morning to another Lab.  to do another HIV Elisa test and I just got the result which is Negative, so based on those  many HIV negative results ( 1 W.B. & 2 Elisa from diffrent Lab.) do you think this confirms the 1st Rapid test was a really false positive or should I do another test as I was thinking about PCR DNA,

Thank you very much in advance