transmission question

[concerned98348]

Hi-

My partner and I recently engaged in mutual masturbation and I believe that fluids have been exchanged. For example, I fingered myself for several minutes and then proceeded to touch my partner’s penis for a while and vice versa. I’m concerned about three different scenarios.

1. If my partner has HSV2 or other STIs that he didn’t disclose to me/didn’t know, what are my chances of getting HSV2 via mutual masturbation (if the partner touched themselves for a while with precum present and then proceeded to touch my vagina for several minutes). I’m not sure about any lesions as it was dark. What are my risks with such as encounter? Should I plan to get tested for HSV2 in a few months? (I would rather know if I’ve been infected as I was negative prior to this encounter). I realize that the risks are probably relatively low, but I wonder if you can provide any details from experience/literature. I’m sick of the idea that a 10-minute encounter with hands could still result in me being positive with HSV2.

2. I’ve been diagnosed with genital HSV1 a few years ago, and haven’t had an outbreak for a while. From an ethical standpoint, do I need to disclose to my partners about the infection if we engage in mutual masturbation? What would you advise your patients to do? Of course, I would disclose before oral or vaginal sex, but I wasn’t sure what the “rules” are about mutual masturbation.

I have always been very careful about such encounters and this is a very first “lapse in judgment” where I didn’t fully evaluate the risks first. Mutual masturbation appeared to be a safe sex option at first, but the more I think about the encounter, the more concerned I am about my choices. Anyway, any advice would be greatly appreciated.

[Terri Warren]

1. If my partner has HSV2 or other STIs that he didn’t disclose to me/didn’t know, what are my chances of getting HSV2 via mutual masturbation (if the partner touched themselves for a while with precum present and then proceeded to touch my vagina for several minutes). I’m not sure about any lesions as it was dark. What are my risks with such as encounter? Should I plan to get tested for HSV2 in a few months? (I would rather know if I’ve been infected as I was negative prior to this encounter). I realize that the risks are probably relatively low, but I wonder if you can provide any details from experience/literature. I’m sick of the idea that a 10-minute encounter with hands could still result in me being positive with HSV2.

I don’t think that any of us experts have ever seen a case of genital herpes due to mutual masturbation. I have seen a case of herpes whitlow (herpes on a finger) on someone who put their fingers (with a break in the skin) in the vagina of someone with HSV 2.

2. I’ve been diagnosed with genital HSV1 a few years ago, and haven’t had an outbreak for a while. From an ethical standpoint, do I need to disclose to my partners about the infection if we engage in mutual masturbation? What would you advise your patients to do? Of course, I would disclose before oral or vaginal sex, but I wasn’t sure what the “rules” are about mutual masturbation.

No, I don’t think that you need to disclose this prior to mutual masturbation. There isn’t any risk there. Also, after being infected with HSV 1 for two years, the shedding rate is about 4 days out of an entire year.

Terri

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