POZ Community Forums
HIV Prevention and Testing => Do I Have HIV? => Topic started by: didsomethingstupid on January 22, 2017, 03:20:03 am
-
Hello moderators,
Thank you for taking the time to help answer the multitude of questions on this forum.
I would like to understand my risk in a recent event in a massage parlour. Details are given below:
I engaged in brief (15-30 seconds) frottage of the genital areas with an unlicensed masseuse. I was fully naked while she had on thin, translucent underwear, and I noticed that she had a sanitary pad on inside.
I may have a recent infection of genital herpes (HSV-2), and was wondering if, given the increased risk of HIV transmission if one is a carrier, whether this incident posed any risks. I do understand that frottage in itself is zero risk.
To my knowledge, there was no leakage of menstrual blood, and that the incident was 'dry' (i.e. I did not feel any fluid) during the encounter. But would the other factors in this incident increase the risk, and would I need testing?
Thank you very much.
-
Frottage is not a risk for HIV infection, as you correctly understand, and your other "factors" do not increase that "zero" risk. Firstly, HIV would need to be present, and there is not indication that it was, since there was no "bleeding."
Even if there were bleeding, the HIV is fragile and never would survive contact with air, nor would it cross the barrier of translucent underwear and somehow enter your bloodstream through a genital herpes outbreak. There simply was not viable pathway for you to become infected.
You may wish to access the information available through this link to review how HIV can be contracted:
https://www.poz.com/basics/hiv-basics/hiv-transmission-risks
You had no risk from the incident you described. Move on with your life.
-
Thank you so much for your patience and clarification Patrick!
-
You're welcome.