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.
HPV is a skin-to-skin contact STI which means that it is possible to transmit the virus to your partner during sex. It is important to note that there are more than 150 different types of strains of HPV, and only a few will cause genital warts. This means that you don’t necesarily need to have a wart to have HPV. Rest assured that HPV is quite common and our immune systems typically clear this virus out in most individuals on average 1-2 years (This may vary on your immune system and HPV strain). If you want to minimize your risk factors of transmitting HPV I recommend using a condom to and avoiding skin to skin contact when a wart is visible.
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
We don’t typically see HIV passed from oral sex, and the risk to the person receiving oral sex is considered very low. We more commonly see gonorrhea and chlamydia or infections that are passed through skin-to-skin contact like herpes or syphilis being passed this way. We always recommend routine testing for all sexually transmitted infections (HIV, syphilis, chlamydia, and gonorrhea) for any sexually active individual
Our clinic finder can help you locate a clinic near you for testing.
Also check out our Know Your Chances charts. They are sometimes useful in understanding which STIs are passed through different types of sexual contact.
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.
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 writing in.
HIV is passed through blood and body fluid (semen, vaginal fluid and breast milk). This means that it is passed from person to person through sexual contact (vaginal and anal intercourse), or sharing needles to inject intravenous drugs with a person who has HIV. It is not passed through any skin-to-skin contact like touching, massage, or kissing.
If an individual has some irritated or sensitive skin in the anal/rectal area there would still be no concern for HIV transmission with the type of contact you are describing (touch and massage only).
You also might find our Know Your Chances charts helpful in understanding how HIV is passed
Let us know if this does not answer your question or if you have any more questions or concerns.
Health Nurse
Hi
I have not heard of, or seen any sexually transmitted infections (STI) pass when dry humping, it is probably one of the safest ways to have sex.
Given this there would be no need to test for this event. Since most STI do not show symptoms we recommend that people get tested every 3-6 months if they have had any type of activity that could pass a STI.
Let us know if you have any more questions or concerns.
Health Nurse
Hi
Having unprotected anal sex like unprotected vaginal sex is a good way to pass HIV if you’re having sex with someone who has HIV.
To get HIV you would need to have sex with someone who has HIV. If your partner does not have HIV there is no risk to HIV. You could have unprotected anal sex and there would be no risk. HIV would not be created/made by doing a certain sex act. For someone to get HIV they typically have it passed to them by having unprotected anal/vaginal sex or by sharing injecting drug equipment with someone who has HIV.
It’s possible for someone to be born with HIV if their mother was HIV positive but I think the chance of this happening in your situation would be unlikely. Countries like Canada and many other countries that have good medical care test pregnant people for HIV as they find with the correct care they can prevent babies from having HIV passed to them. Also if a baby did get HIV and was unable to get medical care it is unlikely for the baby to survive for long.
I don’t know you or your partner’s sexual history so it is difficult for me to give specific advice, but I can give you some general information on what you can do next. As this is playing on your mind I wonder if you feel ok with talking to your partner about their STI/HIV status and your concerns. Most people with STI/HIV do not develop any symptoms so it can be common for people to be unaware of their status. If you or your partner has had other sexual partners or risk in the past you could get a STI/HIV test.
Let us know if you have any other concerns or questions
Health Nurse
Hi, and thanks for your question.
The symptoms you are describing are not specifically related to an HIV infection or any other sexually transmitted infection (STI). In fact, they are much more common with other things such as common colds and flus. If there is no sexual risk or risk through sharing needles with an HIV-infected person for intravenous drug use, then I would recommend visiting a family doctor or doctor at a walk-in clinic for a general full assessment and discussion.
When it comes to STI testing, we generally recommend testing for all STIs including chlamydia, gonorrhea, and syphilis in addition to HIV since these infections are actually much more common than HIV.
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.
We really don’t see HIV transmitted this way. HIV does not live outside of the body on surfaces or objects. Even if there was HIV-infected blood on the cotton ball, the virus would die within a few seconds and would not be able to infect an individual. From what you’ve described, there is no risk of HIV to your daughter. If you are concerned you could always visit your family doctor or pediatrician for further information and guidance.
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.
You are right that chlamydia and gonorrhea are not present in saliva or blood and are therefore not passed this way. However, it is possible for gonorrhea and less commonly chlamydia to grow in a person’s throat. If an individual gives oral sex to a person with a penis which happens to have either gonorrhea or chlamydia, that infection can be passed via the semen into the throat and start growing there. If the person who now has an infection in the throat then gives oral sex on a penis which does NOT have an infection, that infection can be passed to the person receiving oral sex.
It really requires a direct transfer of the bacteria to a person’s throat through seminal fluid and then direct contact of a person’s genitals with the bacteria in a person’s throat for the infection to be passed this way. While it is theoretically possible, this is why we do not commonly see these infections passed through kissing on the mouth or even shallower kissing on the genital area.
It sounds like you’re already familiar with our STIs at a Glance chart! If you’re interested in seeing which STIs are commonly passed through various types of sex, check out our Know Your Chances charts found here: https://smartsexresource.com/about-stis/know-your-chances-0
Let us know if this does not answer your question or if you have any more questions or concerns.
Health Nurse
Hi, and thank you for your question
When we talk about infections being “sexually transmitted” we mean that these infections are typically passed from one person to another during some form of sexual contact. This means that these infections are not generally passed through casual human contact such as shaking hands or hugging. However, each infection does have its mode of transmission, or how it is passed from person to person.
Chlamydia and gonorrhea can be present in semen, vaginal fluid, and rectal fluid so can be passed through oral, anal and vaginal sex. These infections are not passed by contact with blood and are typically not passed through skin to skin touching.
HIV is present in both blood and body fluids such as semen, vaginal fluid, rectal fluid and breastmilk. So it can be passed through anal and vaginal sex as well as through exposure to blood on an open sore or mucous membrane.
Syphilis can be passed quite easily by skin to skin contact with the fluid from a syphilis lesion (blister).
Other STIs such as herpes and human papillomavirus, or HPV (the virus that causes genital warts and some types of genital cancers) are very easily passed from person to person through skin to skin contact.
For more information on how STIs are passed have a look at our STIs at a Glance chart found here: https://smartsexresource.com/sites/default/files/Smartsex_SUPERCHART_2014_v2.pdf
These Know Your Chances charts are also great for understanding which infections are commonly passed through different types of sexual contact: https://smartsexresource.com/about-stis/know-your-chances-0
Let us know if this does not answer your question or if you have any more questions or concerns.
Health Nurse