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Bad Judgment...
Dear Doc,
I made an extremely bad judgment call by visiting a "worker" after A LOT of alcohol. I keep second guessing whether or not I actually had sex with her. I know for sure that she performed oral sex (with condom) on me and a handjob (without condom). She was adament about keeping the condom on for anything but the handjob so I'm assuming that if we did have vaginal intercourse (I say "if" because I was drunk but I distinctly remember telling her I didnt want to at the beginning) it was with a condom.
We deep kissed also. I'm afraid that she might have had blood in her mouth. Because of the alcohol, I cannot remember. I am very scared and on the brink of tears. I don't know what to do. The tip of my penis has turned a bit red and seems a little discolored (encounter was about 4 days ago).
What should I do? When is the earliest I can get tested and be confident that the results are accurate?
Please help!
I made an extremely bad judgment call by visiting a "worker" after A LOT of alcohol. I keep second guessing whether or not I actually had sex with her. I know for sure that she performed oral sex (with condom) on me and a handjob (without condom). She was adament about keeping the condom on for anything but the handjob so I'm assuming that if we did have vaginal intercourse (I say "if" because I was drunk but I distinctly remember telling her I didnt want to at the beginning) it was with a condom.
We deep kissed also. I'm afraid that she might have had blood in her mouth. Because of the alcohol, I cannot remember. I am very scared and on the brink of tears. I don't know what to do. The tip of my penis has turned a bit red and seems a little discolored (encounter was about 4 days ago).
What should I do? When is the earliest I can get tested and be confident that the results are accurate?
Please help!
Sorry for the Questions...its just that I was under the influence and dont think its out of the question that I forgot something. It was an incredibly shady place (for a place where prostitution is legal) and I keep thinking they wanted me to get it.
Sorry.
Sorry.
MEDICAL PROFESSIONAL
HIV has never been known or suspected to be transmitted by hand-genital contact. Can I imagine a possibility if secretions were actively massaged into the urethral opening? Sure. But obviously this is not a signficant worry.
You may not return to ask every additional anxiety-driven "yes but" or "what if" question that comes to mind. This is the last one. Let it go and seek psychological counseling if you cannot.
This thread is over.
You may not return to ask every additional anxiety-driven "yes but" or "what if" question that comes to mind. This is the last one. Let it go and seek psychological counseling if you cannot.
This thread is over.
Quick question Doc,
I read another post that you said a condom is only supposed to cover the head and opening of the penis. I'm assuming this is to prevent vaginal fluid to enter. What about when a women inadvertently has vaginal fluid on her fingers and she touches the opening of the penis while giving hand stimulation? Is there a risk there for HIV?
Thank You.
I read another post that you said a condom is only supposed to cover the head and opening of the penis. I'm assuming this is to prevent vaginal fluid to enter. What about when a women inadvertently has vaginal fluid on her fingers and she touches the opening of the penis while giving hand stimulation? Is there a risk there for HIV?
Thank You.
MEDICAL PROFESSIONAL
6 weeks for HIV or syphilis. But I recommend against HSV testing in this circumstance, but that requires 3 months.
You can translate your ability to help others into reducing your own anxieties. As I suggested above, try pretending your question was on the HIV Community Forum, from somone else. Be as coldly objective as you can and concentrate on what you would have said in reply. I'll bet it helps.
You can translate your ability to help others into reducing your own anxieties. As I suggested above, try pretending your question was on the HIV Community Forum, from somone else. Be as coldly objective as you can and concentrate on what you would have said in reply. I'll bet it helps.
Hi Doc,
Yes I have posted before. I had a similar encounter a few years ago and went through a whole ordeal. But after testing negative for everything, I gained back my sanity and started helping others. Apparently I can give sounds advice but cannot take it.
The encounter was in Columbia, with a Columbian worker.
I do in fact want to get tested. Not only because of this encounter, but as an annual checkup. However, let's say I did have a high risk exposure (I know I didnt!), when would I accurately be able to get tested for HIV, HSV, etc? 4 weeks? 6 weeks?
Thanks, that will be my last post.
Yes I have posted before. I had a similar encounter a few years ago and went through a whole ordeal. But after testing negative for everything, I gained back my sanity and started helping others. Apparently I can give sounds advice but cannot take it.
The encounter was in Columbia, with a Columbian worker.
I do in fact want to get tested. Not only because of this encounter, but as an annual checkup. However, let's say I did have a high risk exposure (I know I didnt!), when would I accurately be able to get tested for HIV, HSV, etc? 4 weeks? 6 weeks?
Thanks, that will be my last post.
MEDICAL PROFESSIONAL
Unless there is a coincidence in usernames, you have asked a large number of questions on the various community forums, and a few a year or so ago on this and the HIV prevention forum. Most seemed to reflect substantial anxiety in relatively low risk situations, and the same tone is in evidence here. At the same time, you have provided calming advice and perspective in comments in response to other persons' anxious questions. This suggests that you intellectually understand the issues but have some difficulty objectively integrating them into self-assessment of your own risks.
With that in mind, if you read your own question and imagine that it came from someone else, what would you advise? I'll bet you would say something like this:
Almost certainly you had safe sex; alcohol or not, you probably would recall the event quite clearly if you had had unprotected vaginal sex. And it is hard to imagine that a commercial sex worker who is "adamant" about using condoms for oral sex would permit vaginal sex without a condom. That doesn't make sense. And you undoubtedly know that oral sex, especially with a condom, carries no significant risk for any STD, including HIV; same for kissing (even if there were blooin the mouth) and hand-genital contact.
And statistically it is unlikely your partner had HIV; in the US and most industrialized countries, the large majority of CSWs are not infected. Finally, the CSW's insistance on condom use is reassuring. You might fear it means she is infected and is trying to prevent transmission to customers. The opposite usually is true: it more likely means she knows she isn't infected and intends to stay that way. Statistically speaking, CSWs are at higher risk from their customers than the customers are from CSWs.
Given your heavy involvement in the forums, I'll bet you know all this. Of cousre if your penile symptoms continue, see a provider to check it out. But that sounds like a little physical irritation, perhaps from spermicide in the condom lubricant.
You don't need STD or HIV testing on account of this exposure. But that's up to you. If having negative tests would help you get beyond your panic, feel free to do it. Perhaps more important, if this reassurance doesn't settle your fears, you might need to consider counseling, epsecially in view of the apparent disconnect between your intellectual understanding and your emotional reaction to this low-risk event.
Good luck-- HHH, MD
With that in mind, if you read your own question and imagine that it came from someone else, what would you advise? I'll bet you would say something like this:
Almost certainly you had safe sex; alcohol or not, you probably would recall the event quite clearly if you had had unprotected vaginal sex. And it is hard to imagine that a commercial sex worker who is "adamant" about using condoms for oral sex would permit vaginal sex without a condom. That doesn't make sense. And you undoubtedly know that oral sex, especially with a condom, carries no significant risk for any STD, including HIV; same for kissing (even if there were blooin the mouth) and hand-genital contact.
And statistically it is unlikely your partner had HIV; in the US and most industrialized countries, the large majority of CSWs are not infected. Finally, the CSW's insistance on condom use is reassuring. You might fear it means she is infected and is trying to prevent transmission to customers. The opposite usually is true: it more likely means she knows she isn't infected and intends to stay that way. Statistically speaking, CSWs are at higher risk from their customers than the customers are from CSWs.
Given your heavy involvement in the forums, I'll bet you know all this. Of cousre if your penile symptoms continue, see a provider to check it out. But that sounds like a little physical irritation, perhaps from spermicide in the condom lubricant.
You don't need STD or HIV testing on account of this exposure. But that's up to you. If having negative tests would help you get beyond your panic, feel free to do it. Perhaps more important, if this reassurance doesn't settle your fears, you might need to consider counseling, epsecially in view of the apparent disconnect between your intellectual understanding and your emotional reaction to this low-risk event.
Good luck-- HHH, MD
Just to clarify, I am not only worried about HIV (although that is my biggest concern) but all STD's.
You are reading content posted in the STDs Forum
Herpes spreads by oral, vaginal and anal sex.
Herpes sores blister, then burst, scab and heal.
STIs are the most common cause of genital sores.
Millions of people are diagnosed with STDs in the U.S. each year.
STDs can't be transmitted by casual contact, like hugging or touching.
Syphilis is an STD that is transmitted by oral, genital and anal sex.
