Hello Doc, I was just wondering what the risk of infection is with a brief unprotected sexual encounter with a female (unknown HIV status). What I mean by brief is that there was some grinding going on and then brief insertion of my penis into her vagina for less than 1min. Would this be considered high risk and constitute grounds for testing. I have spoken to my Dr. and he said it's considered low risk and testing would not be required. What do you think? The Female is 19yrs and lives in Canada if it make any difference.

Your doctor's opinion sounds valid. It is highly unlikely that you would have been infected in the episode you describe. Risk is based on a complex hierarchy of information, and your exposure probably falls on the lower end of that hierarchy. However, getting HIV tested is a decision only you can make for yourself.

It is difficult to say what a person's risk is based on the length of time they have sex without condoms. Research studies have not focused on this issue to date. Logic may dictate that the longer you are exposed to infected fluids during sexual intercourse the greater the risk is for infection, but logic isn't always reliable when it comes to the mechanics of HIV transmission. It is a complex science. To lessen your doubt, try to use condoms throughout sexual intercourse.

RMK