Dear Alice,
I had sex with a prostitute in a penthouse in New York City early
last year. I used a condom and everything went smoothly (i.e., the
condom did not break or anything). For some reason, I have
recently become very scared about HIV. What are my chances of
contracting the virus from this incident?
— Worried and Anxious
Dear Worried and Anxious,
Condoms have been determined as an effective way to prevent the
transmission of HIV. As long as your mucous membranes (i.e., your
urethra) did not have contact with the prostitute's vaginal fluids,
and you had no open sores or cuts on your hands or in your mouth that came
into contact with the prostitute's vaginal secretions, you have nothing to
worry about.
There are a few other things to think about — one is that the
prostitute had to be infected with HIV in order to transmit the
virus to you. Secondly, the number of sexual encounters as well as
the types of encounters play a part in the transmission of HIV. With
HIV, a single act of unprotected vaginal or rectal intercourse may
be sufficient for transmission. But, it is believed that in the
vast majority of cases, repeated exposure to the virus through
multiple acts of intercourse is necessary for transmission to take
place. To get more detailed information about HIV and AIDS, ask
for a copy of The Essential AIDS Fact Book, available for
free at Health Services in John Jay Hall. There is also a
National HIV/AIDS Hotline at 800.342.AIDS (-2437).
- Alice
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Sex with prostitute — HIV?
