A service provided by the BC Centre for Disease Control
In the years since SmartSexResource launched, we have developed a library of questions asked by you, and answered by our expert sexual health nurses.
Our answered questions library cover a broad range of sexual health topics and common questions we hear at our clinics.
Hi, and thanks for your question.
Though not impossible, a person would be unlikely to get an STI from the type of contact you describe. If a person had an infection like syphilis or herpes that can be passed by skin to skin contact and they touched that area of themselves immediately prior to touching you, it might be possible to pass the virus or bacteria to you. Or if they had ejaculate on their own finger before touching your urethra they could possibly pass chlamydia or gonorrhea if they had either one of those infections.
Of course, those conditions would need to be in place, and really the risk from the encounter you describe is more theoretical than actual.
If you are sexually active, we do always recommend regular testing for sexually transmitted infections (STIs) anyways. To locate a testing provider in your area, have a look at our Clinic Finder
You might also find our Know Your Chances charts helpful in understanding how different STIs can be passed.
Let us know if this does not answer your question or if you have any more questions or concerns.
Health Nurse
Hi, and thanks for your question
It will depend on which clinic you go to for testing. If you visit a walk-in-clinic they will be less likely to bill Alberta Health for your visit and you will be more likely to have to pay out of pocket for the visit. Each clinic will have a set of fees associated, including doctor’s fees. You may also have to pay out of pocket to have any lab testing done.
If you’re looking specifically for STI testing, I would recommend looking for a clinic or service which does not require BC Medical Services Plan (MSP) coverage. If you are located in the Vancouver area, the provincial STI clinic located at 655 W. 12th Ave and the Bute St. Clinic located at 1170 Bute St are both free clinics and no MSP is required.
For a listing of other clinics and services in your area, have a look at our Clinic Finder
Let us know if this does not answer your question or if you have any more questions or concerns.
Health Nurse
Hi, thanks for writing in
I’m not sure exactly to what you’re referring. Our online services are staffed Monday to Friday from 8:30-4:30 with submitted questions being answered during those hours and online nurse chat available typically 2 days a week for 2-3 hours. Keep an eye on the website for updates in chat availability
If you’re referring to our clinic services, the BC Centre for Disease Control STI clinic is open Monday to Saturday. Click here for a complete listing of clinic hours and location information.
If you’re not in the Vancouver area and are looking for testing services, have a look at our Clinic Finder to locate a clinic near you.
Let us know if this does not answer your question or if you have any more questions or concerns.
Health Nurse
Hi, thanks for your question. It is a common worry that HIV transmission through could occur easily open cuts or blood and it is also true that the body fluids have to contain HIV to transmit it. Many people who have HIV are now on HIV medications which reduce the amount of HIV virus in their body to the point of it being undetectable on a viral load test. Having HIV and being undetectable means that it is not possible to transmit HIV. HIV does not live long outside the body. As soon as the fluid containing HIV has dried and gone cold, the HIV has died and cannot be transmitted.
Let us know if this does not answer your question or if you have any more questions or concerns.
Health Nurse
Hi, and thanks for writing in with your question
It’s really normal to feel scared when thinking that something might be wrong or when facing something unknown, like a first physical exam. The most important thing will be to have a doctor that you can trust and to have a discussion about what symptoms you have been experiencing. That way, together you and the doctor can decide what the best tests and follow up will be for your situation.
If the doctor recommends pap testing, they will need to do a pelvic exam. A pelvic exam is the process by which a healthcare provider looks inside the vagina at the cervix using a speculum. The pap test is just one part of the exam where the doctor or nurse gently collects some cells from the cervix to be looked at under a microscope for any atypical or abnormal characteristics
Your healthcare provider will still be able to perform a pelvic exam even though you have never had intercourse. This exam doesn’t change anything, and just like using tampons doesn’t change or affect your hymen, neither will a pelvic exam.
Scarleteen is a really great sex ed website and they have an awesome article entitled Your First Gynecologist Visit that I would encourage you to check out.
Let us know if this does not answer your question or if you have any more questions or concerns.
Health Nurse
Hi, and thanks for your question
When you have blood taken for an STI test, the blood sample gets sent to the laboratory for the actual testing. The lab tests the blood for whatever the nurse or doctor has ordered on the requisition (sheet of paper that gets sent with the blood). Some tests, like syphilis, HIV and Hepatitis A, B, & C can be run from the same sample of blood in the same tube. The only way to know what your blood is being tested for is to ask your testing provider which tests they are ordering on the requisition when they take your blood.
Let us know if this does not answer your question or if you have any more questions or concerns.
Health Nurse
Hi, yes it can. If you go to an STI clinic, you can have your symptoms assessed, do testing and also be treated right away to cover possible chlamydia or gonorrhea infection. To find a clinic near you, please see https://smartsexresource.com/get-tested/clinic-finder
Let us know if this does not answer your question or if you have any more questions or concerns.
Health Nurse
Hi, thanks for writing in with your concerns. It would be a good idea to have your symptoms checked out at and STI clinic and even if it seems they are starting to go away, you can have and testing and treatment done if needed there. If you are in contact with the person you had sex with, then it would be a good idea if you both were tested and treated if needed. To find a clinic near you, please see https://smartsexresource.com/get-tested/clinic-finder
Let us know if this does not answer your question or if you have any more questions or concerns.
Health Nurse
Hi, thanks for writing in with your concerns. The herpes swab from the area affected ( in your girlfriends case – the blisters) is the most accurate way of testing for herpes. It will tell if its herpes or shingles, what type of herpes and the person will know where the herpes is on their body. Blood testing for herpes will tell if a person has come in contact with herpes, what type of herpes but not which area of their body it is on. Its possible to have herpes for a long period of time without any outbreaks and then when the immune system is stressed, the herpes will come out in an outbreak and it will seem like it just appeared but really it has been present for a long time. Diabetes can weaken a persons immune system especially if it is not well controlled and a suppressed immune system makes them more vulnerable to infection like herpes and bladder infections and yeast infections. So it is also possible that you have carried genital herpes without knowing it and passed it to your girlfriend or you carry herpes around your mouth with or without coldsores and transmitted it through giving her oral sex. Having a herpes outbreak can also affect a persons diabetes by altering blood sugar levels. There are resources on our website for herpes but not for diabetics with herpes. In this case, I suggest if your partner is agreeable, that you go with her to her doctor so that you can both ask any questions about the effect of herpes and diabetes adn how you can best support her.
Let us know if this does not answer your question or if you have any more questions or concerns.
Health Nurse
Hi, thanks for your question. Yes, it is definitely possible. Avoiding sexual contact during outbreaks, using condoms regularly and using suppressive antiviral therapy to reduce outbreaks are strategies that have been shown to reduce the risk of herpes transmission. The usual advice is for the person with herpes is not to have any genital contact until the outbreak has completely cleared up and the skin looks healed. ( although it is known that herpes can be spread through asymptomatic shedding through the intact skin). If a person is experiencing frequent outbreaks, they can take a low dose daily antiviral medication that will suppress any outbreaks and also significantly lower any chance of transmission. To read more more about herpes, please see the updated herpes resource on our website at https://smartsexresource.com/topics/herpes-simplex-virus
Let us know if this does not answer your question or if you have any more questions or concerns.
Health Nurse