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STD risk from massage parlor
Hello,
My husband had sex with a "masseuse" at a massage parlor twice, both times unprotected vaginal sex. He cannot recall when the first time happened, only that it probably was no more than 3 months ago, and the second time definitely 2 weeks ago. When he confessed a week ago, he got tested for HIV, HBV, HCV, HSV2, gonorrhea, chlamydia and syphilis. All came back negative. I got tested too but it's obviously too early to tell if he only acquired the infection 2 weeks ago and my last possible exposure is a week ago. For our peace of mind, what should we test again for and when? So far, we haven't observed any rashes, sores or vesicles. Thank you.
My husband had sex with a "masseuse" at a massage parlor twice, both times unprotected vaginal sex. He cannot recall when the first time happened, only that it probably was no more than 3 months ago, and the second time definitely 2 weeks ago. When he confessed a week ago, he got tested for HIV, HBV, HCV, HSV2, gonorrhea, chlamydia and syphilis. All came back negative. I got tested too but it's obviously too early to tell if he only acquired the infection 2 weeks ago and my last possible exposure is a week ago. For our peace of mind, what should we test again for and when? So far, we haven't observed any rashes, sores or vesicles. Thank you.
MEDICAL PROFESSIONAL
Don't worry about HPV. Getting genital HPV is inevitable; you've probably had it already. Depending on your and your husband's past sexual experiences, his recent infidelity might not increase your risk at all. And you still can receive Gardasil and I suggest you do it. Even after you and your husband work things out, this event might teach that there is future risk for the same behavior and being immunized might give you peace of mind. (That's not a criticism of your husband, if he commits to avoiding such temptations in the future. But as a practical matter, you can understand that such intentions often are difficult to follow.)
Truly, try to let go of the STD issues here. The risks are trivial compared with the bigger relationship issues.
That will have to end this thread. Best wishes.
Truly, try to let go of the STD issues here. The risks are trivial compared with the bigger relationship issues.
That will have to end this thread. Best wishes.
Thank you, Doctor, you've eased my worries a bit. If we chose to test him for HSV-2 for fun, when should we do it and with any particular assay?
Also, when would be appropriate for me to get tested for HPV? Aren't I kicking myself for not getting Gardasil when it was offered to me a couple years ago... It is my understanding that there's no test for low risk HPV. If either of us were to get warts, when would they show up?
Thanks so much for your help. I'm trying to direct my engeries into working on the relationship but it's hard because I'm so paranoid.
Also, when would be appropriate for me to get tested for HPV? Aren't I kicking myself for not getting Gardasil when it was offered to me a couple years ago... It is my understanding that there's no test for low risk HPV. If either of us were to get warts, when would they show up?
Thanks so much for your help. I'm trying to direct my engeries into working on the relationship but it's hard because I'm so paranoid.
MEDICAL PROFESSIONAL
Welcome to the STD forum. I'll try to help. FYI, I saw the comment below before writing this reply.
Most commercial sex workers don't have STD. Of course infections of various kinds are more common than in the general population, but it doesn't mean that all such persons have STD. Second, when one person has an STD, the chance of transmission to a partner is nowhere near 100%. For example, if your husband's massage partner had chlamydia or gonorrhea, there was a 50:50 chance he was infected. If she had genital herpes due to HSV-2, it was more 1 chance in several hundred. For HIV the chance his partner was infected was probably around 1 in 1,000 (if the exposure was in the US or other industrialized country), and if she had it, 1 in 2,000 chance of transmission. That means the odds he caught HIV were somewhere around 1 in 2 million, i.e. virtually zero. There was a very small risk of syphilis, and virtually zero risk for hepatitis.
Your husband's tests for gonorrehea and chlamydia show he wasn't infected. (Those tests are valid within 5 days of exposure.) All other tests were done too soon; it takes 4-12 weeks for any STD blood test to become positive. In my STD clinic, we would not have done the HSV, HBV, and HCV tests at all. We also would not have recommended testing you at all unless one of your husband's tests was positive.
What to do now? For maximum safety, your husband should be rested for syphilis and HIV about 6-8 weeks after the exposure. That's all that's necessary. You can expect both to be negative.
Finallty, given the tests you describe, my guess is that you and your husband have been tested with some sort of "STD panel" of the kind offered by on-line laboratories. That's always a mistake. Probably you and he have spent several hundred dollars already on tests you mostly don't need. It would have been a lot cheaper to see a clinic or doctor who understands STD and had only the tests s/he would have recommend. Or to have visited your local health department STD clinic for low cost or most likely free testing.
Bottom line: Have your husband have the follow-up HIV and syphilis tests. In the meantime, keep alert to unexplained genital symptoms and get checked out if either of you has such a problem. Otherwise, don't worry to much about the STD consequences of your husband's behavior. Put your energies where they are needed, i.e. on the relationship issues.
I hope this helps. Best wishes--- HHH, MD
Most commercial sex workers don't have STD. Of course infections of various kinds are more common than in the general population, but it doesn't mean that all such persons have STD. Second, when one person has an STD, the chance of transmission to a partner is nowhere near 100%. For example, if your husband's massage partner had chlamydia or gonorrhea, there was a 50:50 chance he was infected. If she had genital herpes due to HSV-2, it was more 1 chance in several hundred. For HIV the chance his partner was infected was probably around 1 in 1,000 (if the exposure was in the US or other industrialized country), and if she had it, 1 in 2,000 chance of transmission. That means the odds he caught HIV were somewhere around 1 in 2 million, i.e. virtually zero. There was a very small risk of syphilis, and virtually zero risk for hepatitis.
Your husband's tests for gonorrehea and chlamydia show he wasn't infected. (Those tests are valid within 5 days of exposure.) All other tests were done too soon; it takes 4-12 weeks for any STD blood test to become positive. In my STD clinic, we would not have done the HSV, HBV, and HCV tests at all. We also would not have recommended testing you at all unless one of your husband's tests was positive.
What to do now? For maximum safety, your husband should be rested for syphilis and HIV about 6-8 weeks after the exposure. That's all that's necessary. You can expect both to be negative.
Finallty, given the tests you describe, my guess is that you and your husband have been tested with some sort of "STD panel" of the kind offered by on-line laboratories. That's always a mistake. Probably you and he have spent several hundred dollars already on tests you mostly don't need. It would have been a lot cheaper to see a clinic or doctor who understands STD and had only the tests s/he would have recommend. Or to have visited your local health department STD clinic for low cost or most likely free testing.
Bottom line: Have your husband have the follow-up HIV and syphilis tests. In the meantime, keep alert to unexplained genital symptoms and get checked out if either of you has such a problem. Otherwise, don't worry to much about the STD consequences of your husband's behavior. Put your energies where they are needed, i.e. on the relationship issues.
I hope this helps. Best wishes--- HHH, MD
Hi, me again. I just wanted to add that the husband and I had unprotected vaginal and oral sex. What are the chances I've caught something from him if he got something from the prostitute?
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.
