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Got an ache or pain? Have a question about a prescription or over-the-counter drug? Looking for some FREE medical advice?
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Question:
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| Hi to all, I guess you will never fully understand how helpful you have been to the members of this site. Recently I had protected vaginal sex with a woman with unknown STD status. Shortly afterwards I noticed a lesion similar to a pimple at the root of my penis where the condom was not covering. I believe that it was a pimle or ingrown hair which blew out during sex , and came into contact with some vaginal fluids. There was no apparent blood but the skin was a bit damaged. Do I have to get tested for any STD's like Hepatitis, HIV or others under such conditions described, even if the sex itself was theoretically "safer sex"? Thanks.
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Answer:
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| Thank you for your inquiry Sorry to be didactic about this but the answer is "yes" you do need to have the tests under these circumstances (1) remembering that regardless of the particular circumstances in this case, while condoms do protect against STDs the protection they provide is not absolute. The good news is that condoms definitely prevent the spread of HIV (2) and the transmission of gonorrhea; the risk of acquiring these and other diseases (3) spread through what the professionals term, 'genital secretions' is reduced through consistent use of condoms; but the bad news is that equally obviously, a condom can't protect what it doesn't cover, which is why the risk of acquiring these other diseases (none as usually lethal as HIV fortunately) is not as much reduced as it is for HIV... If you'll pardon expanding the answer to your question a bit more, all sexually active people should have Hepatitis B vaccination checked (actually, everyone should be vaccinated against Hepatitis B) but Hepatitis C is also a worry and there is no vaccine for this yet. (1) Bear in mind that the 'window' period for exposure to HIV means that if one has a test 'now' i.e. the day after potential exposure, one needs to be sure that 3 months from now one is still negative i.e. has not developed HIV antibodies ('seroconverted'). (2) In a 1987-91 study of couples in which one partner had HIV, all 123 couples who used condoms every time for four years prevented transmission of HIV. In 122 couples who did not use condoms every time, 12 partners became infected. A similar 1993 study showed that using condoms every time prevented HIV transmission for all but two of 171 women who had male partners with HIV. However eight out of 10 women whose partners didn't use condoms every time became infected. No more proof needed we think. (3) Other diseases being chlamydia, syphilis, chancroid, trichomoniasis, genital herpes caused by herpes simplex viruses, and genital human papillomavirus infection ('warts'). Hope this helps Best regards
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