Needless worrying

[needlessworry]

Hello,
I'm freaking out. please reassure me and tell me i'm ok if possible
1) I'm a 30 year old male. just finished a ~10 month relationship with a 23 year old female claims no std in the past and no visible herpetic lesions (mouth and genitals), or genital warts ever. Normal pap smears always and both of us tested negative for HIV/Hep b & C/syphilis/gono/chlam, 3 months into our mutually monogamous relationship. She has had over 20 partners (unprotected) and over 60 protected (non latex condoms) partners lifetime. During our relationship she never had any lesions or warts (i saw her naked daily and looked). I have not had any herpes lesions in life. I have had 5 partners (very low risk partners...mainly virgins) who never had hsv. I'm wondering if I should get "screened/tested" for herpes but I really don't want to put myself through needless mental anguish if it's unnecessary. is it very unlikely i got infected in this relationship (assume no cheating)
2) 3 weeks ago I fell on the sidewalk near downtown montreal and cut myself pretty deep on my hand (three scrapes). I didn't look at the ground (pain/cold) but returned one hour later to see if there were any needles on the ground.  i didn't see needles, but there was some broken glass and salt/gravel/snow. i'm worried if there was a needle but i just didn't see it, or some blood contaminated glass? HIV/hep c risk?
3) 4 weeks ago i was with a girl drunk and we dry humped. she was wearing thin panties, and i was wearing boxers. we were spooning and my penis must have been rubbing against her scantily covered vulva and anus from behind. no penetration because i remember her getting out of bed afterwards and she was still wearing her underwear. I'm worried if my penis slipped out of my boxers and her underwear were wet (or moved and exposed her genitals and then my penis touched?) HSV/HPV risk?

[Edward W Hook, MD]

I would not recommend metronidazole for you.  I would however recommend that you do everything possible to stop worrying about this.  That will be it for this thread. Take care.  EWH

[needlessworry]

I'm sorry, but I just have one follow up question with regard to question1, and that will be the last. My ex was never tested for trich, and although I don't recall if she ever had any symptoms, women often have some vaginal discharge of some sort or other that I don't really care to analyze. Now we are completely over. I don't dare ask her if she would get tested for it. I'm completely asymptomatic and had a recent routine urine dipstick from my GP which was totally normal. I know that trich can't easily be diagnosed in men so no point going for the test. Do you see any reason for me to take metronidazole on account of possibly being an asymptomatic carrier so as not passing it on to a future female partner? If I am infected and asymptomatic is there any danger for me?
I appreciate your answering this last question. Just trying really hard to put this past relationship....in the past.

[Edward W Hook, MD]

I advice you to let this go. The chance of getting HSV through the exposure you mention is tiny and should not concern you.  EWH

[needlessworry]

Thanks for your reassurance. Actually I was vaccinated with my second dose of gardasil 5-6 weeks before the dry humping event...i guess i should be even less concerned?

What about HSV risk from the dry humping exposure? can i let this go?? should i be tested? do u think the risk for HSV acquisition from my ten months relationship is also not very realistic given that neither of us have ever had any outbreaks (oral, or genital) in our lives?

I love u and Dr. Hook. Incredible, non-judgemental, and very reasonable physicians. I believe u are providing a much needed service and helping to educate the masses.

[Edward W Hook, MD]

Welcome to our Forum.  I'll go straight to your questions.  By way of preview however, since you and your ex were tested and negative for common STDs, I see no reason whatsoever for additional testing as the relationship ends.  

In answer to your specific questions:
1.  See above.  I see no reason for testing.  You both tested negative for the major STDs and their consequences.

2.  No, there is no appreciable risk for HIV, hepatitis, or other blood borne diseases from this sort of scrape.  If there were, there would be an epidemic of pediatric HIV, wouldn’t there.  The HIV virus would not survive outside of the body long enough to cause infection.

3.  No penetration, no risk for nearly all STDs.

Finally, because you mention HPV several times, I will add an additional contact.  Having had 5 prior partners, virgins or otherwise, you can be quite confident that you have had HPV.  Virtually everyone has.  Over 85% of sexually active women will have HPV infection at some time in their lives.  The figure for men is less well studied but similar.   In some HPV will cause genital warts, in others it will not cause warts but may lead to changes in PAP smears.  In nearly everyone who gets HPV, warts or otherwise, the infections will resolve by themselves without therapy in 8-24 months.  In a very small minority of women, HPV infection can persist and lead to the pre-cancerous lesions that PAP smears detect and which can then be treated.  For men there is far less risk of any sort.

To emphasize this point, I am including a link to an earlier detailed response that my friend and colleague, Dr. Handsfield made to a similar question.

http://www.medhelp.org/posts/STDs/HPV-Transmission/show/1522088

I hope these comments are helpful.  I would not be worried.  EWH