vaginal fluids and hand job

[anxiety65]

I was masterbated by a sex worker with the same hand as the hand she had masterbated herself. She wiped me off with the tissue she wiped her hand with after i was finished.  later that day i noticed a small sore on my penis.  A day after my exposue i had unprotecet sex with my wife and she developed a rash on her face 5 days later that went away in 3-4 days. a week later she developed a similar small rash on her forehed. 3 weeks later after exposure i am having a headache and some facial flushing. i have had upper stomach pain from 6 - 13 weeks.  no fever, no sore throat or no rash.  i have read that the hand jobs have no risk.  Is the reason for hand jobs not being a risk even though i may have had a sore on my penis because of cdc's report that hiv is not infectous outside its host? a quote from CDC "Additionally, HIV is unable to reproduce outside its living host (unlike many bacteria or fungi, which may do so under suitable conditions), except under laboratory conditions; therefore, it does not spread or maintain infectiousness outside its host"

i am totally stressed and need some help.  this site does such good work that i wanted to get some assurance from this Expert Forum

thanks for your response

[Edward W Hook, MD]

Welcome back to the Forum.  It sounds to me like you already know the answer to your question.  The exposure you describe did not put you at any risk for HIV.  HIV has never been documented to be transmitted through masturbation.  On the other hand, it is a fact that masturbation regularly leads to both abrasions such as the one you describe and to getting each other’s genital secretions on one another's partners.  Despite this, as I've already said, HIV transmission has never been shown to occur as a result of masturbation.  This is in part because, as you point out, the virus dies very quickly outside of the human body.  In addition, contamination of wounds such as you describe does not cause infection.  

Your wife's symptoms are a coincidence.  Your stomach pains may be related- as a reflection of your anxiety over the exposure, but they are not related to HIV acquired in the encounter you describe.  

You have nothing to worry about.  There is no medical need for testing however, if you feel that you need testing for your peace of mind, do so.  The test result will be negative and this will be proof that your symptoms were not due to HIV.  EWH

[anxiety65]

thank you

[Edward W Hook, MD]

This will be the last comment.

The CDC statement is essentially the same thing I said, using more nuanced verbiage.

End of thread.  EWH

[anxiety65]

there is so much priinted about this subject it would be interesting to see what your opinion of the CDC answer in their question and answer section:

i am sure your opinion would be welcomed, if you have time.  all of you are so generous with your time.

thanks,

"Scientists and medical authorities agree that HIV does not survive well outside the body, making the possibility of environmental transmission remote. HIV is found in varying concentrations or amounts in blood, semen, vaginal fluid, breast milk, saliva, and tears. To obtain data on the survival of HIV, laboratory studies have required the use of artificially high concentrations of laboratory-grown virus. Although these unnatural concentrations of HIV can be kept alive for days or even weeks under precisely controlled and limited laboratory conditions, CDC studies have shown that drying of even these high concentrations of HIV reduces the amount of infectious virus by 90 to 99 percent within several hours. Since the HIV concentrations used in laboratory studies are much higher than those actually found in blood or other specimens, drying of HIV-infected human blood or other body fluids reduces the theoretical risk of environmental transmission to that which has been observed–essentially zero. Incorrect interpretations of conclusions drawn from laboratory studies have in some instances caused unnecessary alarm.

Results from laboratory studies should not be used to assess specific personal risk of infection because (1) the amount of virus studied is not found in human specimens or elsewhere in nature, and (2) no one has been identified as infected with HIV due to contact with an environmental surface. Additionally, HIV is unable to reproduce outside its living host (unlike many bacteria or fungi, which may do so under suitable conditions), except under laboratory conditions; therefore, it does not spread or maintain infectiousness outside its host."

[Edward W Hook, MD]

Glad we could help.  EWH

[anxiety65]

Doctor,

thank you so much for your prompt response. Even though i have read all the web sites, i was encouraged by the CDC report.  However, nothing has been as reassuring as your response.  i have seen a gastrologist about my stomach and have had an endoscopy, an ultra sound and some blood work (no hiv test) and meet with him next week to see if anything can be found.  You are probably correct that my stomach may be related to stress.

thank you once again.  This forum does great work.