Hi,

Thanks for writing.

With any amount of unprotected sex there is the potential for transmission of sexually transmitted infections (STIs), even if it was only 2-3 minutes. Escorts and people engaged in the sex industry do often test regularly, and in this situation we would not consider the risk of unprotected sex with an escort to greater than the risk of unprotected sex with someone who is not an escort.

We also recommend STI/HIV testing for anyone who is sexually active. Some STIs make symptoms (so you know you have an STI), but others don’t make symptoms and the only way to know is to get tested. The best time to test for STIs/HIV is at least 2 weeks after sex, although some results will not be conclusive until 3 months after sex. See our When to Test page for more detailed information.

If you’re concerned about HIV transmission we would say that often a single encounter for unprotected sex is not high-risk for HIV. It sounds like you are male, and we know that for the male the risk is also less risk than for a female.

Lastly, we know that many people experience complicated emotions after having new sexual experiences. Sometimes people feel that because they have done something different than they expect they will get an STI, but usually this is not the case. For more ideas about managing stress regarding STI/HIV risks see our Worry & Anxiety page.

Hope this helps. Please feel free to comment below or submit another question as needed.

Health Nurse