Resolved question:
I find myself in an upsetting situation to which I'm having trouble resolving.
I was at a strip club on Nov 21st and received a lap dance. During the dance, the stripper kept her bra and panties on (though the panties were thin) and I kept my underwear, jeans, and t-shirt on. There was no kissing or other contact beyond my hands on her body including her allowing me to feel and press on her vagina through her panties. I don't recall feeling any wetness and my fingers generally stayed in the area of her clit and hood. However, she did grind/press on my fingers and I may have felt along the outside of her panties but I never inserted my fingers in her (nor did she).
Immediately after, I left the club, went back to my room (picked up dinner along the way but didn't touch the food), and took a shower before eating.
So, of course my main question is - am I at any risk for anything?
General logic tells me I have nothing to worry about, I've received two responses from other doctors on sites similar to this that confirm that I have nothing to worry about and I can't find any credible evidence to think otherwise, but I still find myself having lots of anxiety (and guilt) over this and seeking reassurance. It seems like any small itch, bump, mark, or other symptom on my body now sets me of into an an anxiety tailspin.
I'm 46 years old, in a long-term committed marriage and I can't seem to shake the fear and guilt caused by this lapse in judgement.
Thoughts?
Submitted:
4 Days
Category:
Sexually Transmitted Diseases(STD)Specialist
Hello,
Thank you for choosing DoctorSpring.
No, you are NOT at risk of any infection or STD.
From the episode - what you have mentioned - this kind of interaction from a epidemiological point of view is similar to a hand shake or friendly hug. There is no obvious direct contact with bodily fluids, mucous membrane or wounds. So there is no risk of transmission of STD.
Do you remember rubbing your your face or touching your lips before the shower ? Any history of masturbation or touching the genitals following the episode ?
You can reply as a followup.
Thank you
Hello Doctor, thank you so much for your reply. I'm struggling with this so much mentally, the reassurance is helpful. Regarding the follow-up medical history questions, I have none of those aside from some minor outpatient surgery to remove some small fatty tissue masses.
In response to your last question about touching my face or...I'm not sure but it's possible. My walk back to my room was about 20 minutes (in relatively cold weather) and I stopped to pick up dinner along the way which meant a wait of another 20-30 minutes (though I did not touch the food until after the shower). If I did touch my face or lips it would be the sort of mindless touching that we all do from time to time - to scratch an itch for example.
I did not masturbate or touch my genitals (even to go to the bathroom) from the time of the episode to the shower though it's possible that I went to the bathroom right before getting into the shower.
Thanks again!
Thank you for the additional information.
No direct contact, no genital exposure - You need not worry at all. You seem to have NO additional risks of contracting any infection (including STDs).
If I were you, I would not be worried. 99.9% you should be safe. The 0.1% is for the theoretical "chance" which we all have.
You should relax and enjoy the Holidays.
Do let me know if you require clarification / additional information.
Thank you