Brief unprotected vaginal sex STD risk

[Mkesaxs]

Hello,

Last night I met a girl at the bar. We ended up going to my hotel and attempted to have sex. I was unable to get a hard on and because of that the condom wouldnt stay on. I am pretty sure I had unprotected sex for a short time. We also each did a very little amount of unprotected oral sex. She was 40 years old and said that she was clean and had been in a relationship. I very concerned that my lack of judgement has put me at risk for an STD. I am in long term relationship and terrified that I could have caught something. What are my risks for any of the STDs? Should I get tested and for what and when?

Thanks

[Edward W Hook, MD]

Welcome to the Forum.  Assuming that your exposure was unprotected, your risk of getting any STD remains rather low.  The fact of the matter is that most people do not have STDs and the biological fact is that there are no STDs that are transmitted most of the time following a single exposure (i.e. the risk of a single exposure to an infected partner is typically about 20-30% per episode of intercourse).  Nonetheless, people do get infected on occasion.  

Most STDs are symptomatic and the most common ones, gonorrhea, chlamydia, NGU become symptomatic in a week or less. Similarly, people who get herpes develop lesions within 14 days of exposure, as do most people who acquire syphilis (which is rare). Finally, among STDs, HIV is one of the most uncommon to get following a single sex act since again, relatively few people have it (less than 1 in 10,000 heterosexual, non-drug using women n the U.S.) and it is transmitted on average only once in every 1000 sex acts.

While the odds are in your favor, I also understand that you may wish to be checked.  If this is the case, tests for the most common STDs (gonorrhea, chlamydia and NGU) will be positive as soon as 3 days following your exposure and test results taken after that time will be reliable.

I hope this information provides you with useful information.  the odds are in your favor. EWH

[Edward W Hook, MD]

No. If you do not develop clinical signs of herpes in the next two weeks, you do not need testing. In fact, we would advise against it since in such situations your chance of a falsely positve test are higher than your risk of actually finding that you have actually acquired the infection.  EWH

[Mkesaxs]

One last question. If I don't show any herpes symptoms over the next 2 weeks. Do I need to get tested for them? Do you think my chances of catching herpes in this single situation is low?

[Edward W Hook, MD]

The important/common concerns re gonorrhea, chlamydial infection and NGU.  EWH

[Mkesaxs]

Thanks for all your help. What STD's do you recommend that I get tested for?