What could cause an HIV infection?

Question

Hi doctor,

My concern is about possibly being infected with HIV due to an experience I had at a strip club four nights ago. I was in a private dance booth receiving a lap dance and during this time I engaged in fingering the stripper, she was masturbating me (hand job), and there was also some brief genital apposition when my penis was partially outside of my pants and she was grinding on me with panties partially removed.

There was absolutely zero penetration whatsoever and I do not even believe that my penis directly contacted her vagina, probably only contacted her butt (not butthole).

My concern about possibly being infected with HIV is that I suffer from genital psoriasis. Basically, the kind that appears like reddish spots on the head and shaft. There was no bleeding from these areas when I inspected them post-dance. I keep wondering about that "what if" regarding genital psoriasis coming into contact with blood that I did not notice was on her hands (but I did not check her hands).

I have read that HIV blood must come into contact with open wounds or breaks in the skin. I am curious about whether my genital psoriasis (which was not bleeding) is still considered an opening or break in the skin that puts me at risk.

Or is the psoriasis talk irrelevant anyway, because hand jobs are safe no matter what. Even if psoriasis had bled slightly?

Can you please assess my risk? Please help me.

Thank you.

Answer 1

Hello,

Welcome to icliniq.com.

I read your query and understand your concern.

For HIV acquisition, there has to be a source. Firstly you do not know whether the lady you engaged with lap dance was HIV infected or not. Secondly, there was no penetration. Thirdly genital psoriasis in your case was not bleeding. And the most important thing is that a hand job is the safest of all.

It is good that you have identified it yourself and have read rightly that for HIV infection, infected blood must come in contact with an open wound or break in the skin, I want to emphasize here this needs to be a fresh lesion not the older one. Literature has enough evidence that genital apposition alone can not lead to HIV transmission. You are at minimal risk.

Also, I want to emphasize that there is no harm in knowing your baseline HIV status which I usually advise my patients. For this, you can undergo HIV rapid tests at any accredited laboratory.

Hope your queries have been answered. If you still have queries, please revert.

Thanks and best wishes.

What could cause an HIV infection?

Ask your health query to a doctor online

Company

Customer Care

Get iCliniq