Risks?

[worrySometimes]

Hi there, I may be re-asking this question, but I wanted to get a better sense of the risks involved with a specific encounter that I recently had.  I am fully aware that I tend to worry more than I should (about everything), but I appreciate the direct and honest replies that I’ve seen on this forum.

I am a gay man, and recently spent the evening with a guy that I know casually, and who has told me that he is negative.  I do not do this very often, and this was the first time that he and I had fooled around.  We spent most of the night in our underwear, spooning and rubbing up against each other, but at no time making sexual contact.

In the morning, though, we engaged in mutual masturbation, including spit and lube, at which point he came on me, with some ejaculate landing on my penis which, from the grinding of the night before was a bit tender and possibly (but not visibly) abraised.

There was no other sexual contact, other than our penises touching for a moment, afterward, but it is likely that his cum was mixed in with the spit/lube mixture as I… er… finished myself off.

Given the possibly abraised state of my penis head, should I be concerned about exposure?  Because of our casual friendship, I don’t want to assume that he was, in fact, negative.  I know that mutual masturbation is a very low risk activity, but does the presence of semen and an abrasion create a situation that would increase that risk significantly?  Would it merit testing?

Thanks, and I appreciate your feedback.

[anniebc]

Nothing you have described has put you at risk for HIV, I think you need to read the lessons here on how HIV is and is not transmitted...if you are going to be sexually active then you need to educate yourself and keep yourself safe.

HIV infected blood has to get into the blood stream in order to infect and an abrasion is really only a minor scratch, when we talk about cuts and wounds we are talking about large wide open ones. with lots of blood involved...you have nothing to worry about.

Jan

[Ann]

Worry,

Mutual masturbation is not "very low risk", it's NO RISK. It doesn't matter what sort of details you put on it either. Jacking off with a mate (or anyone else) is no risk where hiv is concerned.

You need to be using condoms for anal or vaginal intercourse, every time, no exceptions until such time as you are in a securely monogamous relationship where you have both tested for ALL sexually transmitted infections together. To agree to have unprotected intercourse is to consent to the possibility of being infected with an STI. Sex without a condom lasts only a matter of minutes, but hiv is forever.

Have a look through all three condom and lube links in my signature line so you can use condoms with confidence.

Anyone who is sexually active should be having a full sexual health care check-up, including but not limited to hiv testing, at least once a year and more often if unprotected intercourse occurs.

If you aren't already having regular, routine check-ups, now is the time to start. As long as you make sure condoms are being used for intercourse, you can fully expect your routine hiv tests to return with negative results. Don't forget to always get checked for all the other sexually transmitted infections as well, because they are MUCH easier to transmit than hiv.

Use condoms for anal or vaginal intercourse and you will avoid hiv infection. It really is that simple!

Ann