Locations
No current practice; not available for in-person outpatient care
Seattle, WA
University of Washington Physicians
Seattle, WA
About
Bio
I have had a 40 year career at the forefront of STD diagnosis, treatment, prevention, and research, and in prevention of HIV infection, as Professor Emeritus of Medicine at the University of Washington Center for AIDS and STD, and former director of the Seattle-King County STD Control Program. In 2010 I was honored to receive the Distinguished Career Award from the American STD Association, the nation's most prestigious recognition of professional contributions in STDs. I frequently serve as an expert advisor to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on STD/HIV policies and clinical guidelines and recommendations, including the quadrennial national STD treatment guidelines and CDC's current guidelines for routine HIV testing.
SpecialtiesDoctors may have more than one area of specialty interest. Board certification in a specialty area means the doctor has completed formal training and has practice experience in that specialty, and has passed the certification examination from the corresponding accredited medical specialty board.
Doctors may have more than one area of specialty interest. Board certification in a specialty area means the doctor has completed formal training and has practice experience in that specialty, and has passed the certification examination from the corresponding accredited medical specialty board.
Infectious Disease
Public Health
Sexual Health Practitioner
Doctor Q&A
14K Answers
1.0K Agrees
The number of answers this doctor has agreed with.
A 36-year-old member asked:
Dr. Hunter Handsfieldanswered
Infectious Disease 55 years experience
Vaginal yeast Rx: Many over the counter treatments are effective against vaginal yeast. Look for active ingredient ending in "azole" (miconazole, clotrimazole, terconaz... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
723 viewsReviewed >2 years agoMerged
A 19-year-old member asked:
Dr. Hunter Handsfieldanswered
Infectious Disease 55 years experience
Most doctors do paps: Any gynecologist and most family medicine or primary care doctors do pap smears routinely. I can't vouch for usual policies and pap smear availability... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
100 viewsAnswered >2 years agoMerged
A 37-year-old member asked:
Dr. Hunter Handsfieldanswered
Infectious Disease 55 years experience
No risk for you: The only risk here is for your partner to catch oral herpes, if he was not previously infected with HSV1. People with HSV are immune (or at least high... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
410 viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 34-year-old member asked:
Dr. Hunter Handsfieldanswered
Infectious Disease 55 years experience
No need: The chance there are dangerous bacteria on your dishes or in the dishwater isn't very high. Second, any standard dishwashing detergent will kill most ... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
160 viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 32-year-old member asked:
Dr. Hunter Handsfieldanswered
Infectious Disease 55 years experience
HIV: The topic tags you selected suggest you already know that HIV stands for human immunodeficiency virus, the cause of AIDS. Anything beyond that is far ... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
74 viewsAnswered >2 years agoMerged
A 22-year-old member asked:
Dr. Hunter Handsfieldanswered
Infectious Disease 55 years experience
Yes, but...: Some HPV strains cause cancer, but most do not. Probably your doctor can tell you whether you have a high or low risk type. Even with the highest risk... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
384 viewsAnswered >2 years ago
A 27-year-old member asked:
Dr. Hunter Handsfieldanswered
Infectious Disease 55 years experience
Various problems: BV itself isn't usually serious, but it does increase the risk of ascending infection into the uterus and fallopian tubes, and in pregnancy may elevat... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
412 viewsAnswered >2 years ago
A 23-year-old member asked:
Dr. Hunter Handsfieldanswered
Infectious Disease 55 years experience
Probably none: Almost all humans get EBV when young, usually with no symptoms, but sometimes infectious mononucleosis (mono), also called glandular fever. Most infec... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
352 viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 30-year-old member asked:
Dr. Hunter Handsfieldanswered
Infectious Disease 55 years experience
A few weeks: The test may be positive as soon as 1-2 weeks after exposure, but it can take up to 6 weeks.
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
257 viewsAnswered >2 years ago
A 32-year-old member asked:
Dr. Hunter Handsfieldanswered
Infectious Disease 55 years experience
Maybe: Cervicitis is very common in women with BV, but whether one causes the other isn't well known. Research is continuing on this.
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
412 viewsAnswered >2 years ago
A 33-year-old member asked:
Dr. Hunter Handsfieldanswered
Infectious Disease 55 years experience
Yes, early infection: It takes a few weeks for the blood tests to become positive, so false neg is common soon after infection. Once infction is established and a few weeks... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
413 viewsAnswered >2 years ago
A 33-year-old member asked:
Dr. Hunter Handsfieldanswered
Infectious Disease 55 years experience
Prob not syphilis: This depends on the meaning of "all the symptoms", and when you might have been exposed. If your last possible exposure was more than 6-8 weeks ago, t... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
2.6k viewsAnswered >2 years ago
A 34-year-old member asked:
Dr. Hunter Handsfieldanswered
Infectious Disease 55 years experience
Rare, if ever: Sexual frequency or increased number of partners do not cause prostatitis. In fact, frequent sexual release probably is healthy for the prostate. Unpr... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
253 viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 32-year-old member asked:
Dr. Hunter Handsfieldanswered
Infectious Disease 55 years experience
Cervicitis: The causes of cervicitis are not well understood. Some cases are due to chlamydia, gonorrhea, or other STDs. Antibiotics, including doxycycline, often... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
342 viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 29-year-old member asked:
Dr. Hunter Handsfieldanswered
Infectious Disease 55 years experience
Extremely unlikely: Theoretically PID could be fatal, in event of an unusually severe case with abscess and complications from that. But extremely unlikely, especially if... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
352 viewsAnswered >2 years ago
A 35-year-old member asked:
Dr. Hunter Handsfieldanswered
Infectious Disease 55 years experience
Maybe yes, maybe no: The causes of BV aren't known; sexual transmission probably explains some cases. BV risk rises with all the things we associate with STDs: multip... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
2.7k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 32-year-old member asked:
Dr. Hunter Handsfieldanswered
Infectious Disease 55 years experience
Not really: Most prostatitis has no known or obvious cause. Infection is often suspected, but most cases test negative for known infections. Some cases are caused... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
246 viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 33-year-old member asked:
Dr. Hunter Handsfieldanswered
Infectious Disease 55 years experience
Blood can transmit: Blood contact very rarely can transmit syphilis. It probably requires much more blood than possible during sexual exposure, shared needles, etc, but t... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
3.5k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 33-year-old member asked:
Dr. Hunter Handsfieldanswered
Infectious Disease 55 years experience
Several problems: Most infections aren't serious, but don't take the chance; get tested and treated if possibly exposed. Chlamydia is one of the most common causes of f... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
413 viewsAnswered >2 years ago
A 34-year-old member asked:
Dr. Hunter Handsfieldanswered
Infectious Disease 55 years experience
No risk, no worry: Mentioning both HPV and sex, probably you are speaking of genital herpes, usually due to HSV type 2. Neither herpes nor HPV ever are transmitted to ho... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
412 viewsAnswered >2 years ago
A 21-year-old member asked:
Dr. Hunter Handsfieldanswered
Infectious Disease 55 years experience
Probably not: No problem at all, assuming no STD risk (other partners recently, active STD). Whatever sexual practices give you and your partner mutual pleasure, wi... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
125 viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 27-year-old member asked:
Dr. Hunter Handsfieldanswered
Infectious Disease 55 years experience
Partner not infected: Your partner doesn't have it. Believe it or not, genital HSV2 is not transmitted all that easily, probably averages once for ever 1,000 unprotected va... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
413 viewsAnswered >2 years ago
A 29-year-old member asked:
Dr. Hunter Handsfieldanswered
Infectious Disease 55 years experience
Not much to do: Fever blisters normally means oral herpes due to HSV1. If your partner had an oral herpes outbreak, you might be at risk for genital HSV1 if he perfor... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
412 viewsAnswered >2 years ago
A 20-year-old member asked:
Dr. Hunter Handsfieldanswered
Infectious Disease 55 years experience
Persistent BV...: ...is common and very frustrating. Avoiding sex or consistent condom use may help. Female (lesbian) partners must be treated. Brief treatment (e.g. 2-... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
408 viewsAnswered >2 years ago
A 27-year-old member asked:
Dr. Hunter Handsfieldanswered
Infectious Disease 55 years experience
Extremely unlikely: Oral HPV isn't all that rare, but a lot less common than genital HPV. More important, even in the busiest STD clinics, we virtually never see patients... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
2.9k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 24-year-old member asked:
Dr. Hunter Handsfieldanswered
Infectious Disease 55 years experience
Difficult to say...: You don't provide enough information for an accurate reply. Many STDs can cause symptoms that mimic other genital problems, like urinary tract infecti... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
3.6k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 46-year-old member asked:
Dr. Hunter Handsfieldanswered
Infectious Disease 55 years experience
Maybe not herpes: It is extremely rare for genital herpes to not respond to valacyclovir (Valtrex). It the drug was just started, it may take a few days for new sores t... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
410 viewsAnswered >2 years ago
A 37-year-old member asked:
Dr. Hunter Handsfieldanswered
Infectious Disease 55 years experience
Ceftriaxone + oral: Gonorrhea is always treated with two antibiotics, usually an injection of ceftriaxone plus oral azithromycin or doxycycline. Chlamydia is treated with... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
406 viewsAnswered >2 years ago
A 47-year-old female asked:
Dr. Hunter Handsfieldanswered
Infectious Disease 55 years experience
Not normal: No unexplained vaginal bleeding is normal, and some causes can be serious. Maybe particular concern if your partial hysterctomy was done for cancer or... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
200 viewsAnswered >2 years ago
A 30-year-old female asked:
Dr. Hunter Handsfieldanswered
Infectious Disease 55 years experience
Drug reaction?: It's very hard to say without more information. But if you're taking any medications, and especially if you started a new drug recently, this sounds t... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
200 viewsAnswered >2 years ago
A 25-year-old male asked:
Dr. Hunter Handsfieldanswered
Infectious Disease 55 years experience
CPPS? Prostatitis?: The only symptoms mentioned that suggest urethritis are disdcharge and "urethral pain". Almost all true and clearly documented urethritis is due to ST... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
119 viewsAnswered >2 years ago
A 25-year-old female asked:
Dr. Hunter Handsfieldanswered
Infectious Disease 55 years experience
Inappropriate exam: First, I don't know how someone can tolerate feeling their own palatoglossal arch without gagging. Second, there was no reason to do so: if you don't... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
14 viewsAnswered >2 years ago
A 29-year-old female asked:
Dr. Hunter Handsfieldanswered
Infectious Disease 55 years experience
Cellulitis: Yellow, greenish, or other colors are common around any inflamed sigte. If your cellulitis is less painful and less tender, if the size is getting sma... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
44 viewsAnswered >2 years ago
A 22-year-old male asked:
Dr. Hunter Handsfieldanswered
Infectious Disease 55 years experience
Possibly HIV: The sore is not due to HIV. It could be trauma, but you need to be checked for herpes and syphilis. Some but not all your symptoms could be due to HIV... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
118 viewsAnswered >2 years ago
A 48-year-old male asked:
Dr. Hunter Handsfieldanswered
Infectious Disease 55 years experience
Balanitis?: Maybe balanitis, i.e. inflammation of the head of the penis, primarily in uncircumcised men. Yeast or bacteria may be responsible. Neither is likely ... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
223 viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 18-year-old female asked:
Dr. Hunter Handsfieldanswered
Infectious Disease 55 years experience
Vulvovaginal candidiasis (vaginal yeast infection, also known as thrush) is the most common cause of such symptoms. Best approach is to see your GP or... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
Reviewed Mar 09, 2023
A 22-year-old female asked:
Dr. Hunter Handsfieldanswered
Infectious Disease 55 years experience
Yeast?: There are many possible explanations, but the most common is a vaginal yeast (thrush) infection. Youry an over-the-counter vaginal cream or suppositor... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
169 viewsAnswered >2 years ago
A 26-year-old female asked:
Dr. Hunter Handsfieldanswered
Infectious Disease 55 years experience
Folliculitis?: Purbac is sufamethoxazole-trimethoprim, which often works with folliculitis and similar skin infections, but not always. Ask your doctor about other a... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
162 viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 23-year-old male asked:
Dr. Hunter Handsfieldanswered
Infectious Disease 55 years experience
Normal urinalysis: This means occasional (occ) cells in each high power (microscope) field (HPF). In other words, only a few white blood cells (WBC, "pus cells") and epi... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
28 viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 43-year-old male asked:
Dr. Hunter Handsfieldanswered
Infectious Disease 55 years experience
Little or no risk: HIV is not transmitted by such contacts. Without unprotected intercourse, no need to worry.
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
157 viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 31-year-old male asked:
Dr. Hunter Handsfieldanswered
Infectious Disease 55 years experience
Itchy penis: There are too many possibilities to even guess the cause or what treatment might be best. See a doctor or clinic in person. Good luck.
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
197 viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 18-year-old male asked:
Dr. Hunter Handsfieldanswered
Infectious Disease 55 years experience
This sounds normal. The material under your foreskin is called smegma; the same can occur in any closed space without access to air, like a deep navel... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
Reviewed Sep 03, 2022
A 23-year-old female asked:
Dr. Hunter Handsfieldanswered
Infectious Disease 55 years experience
Pandemic anxiety: For most people anxious or depressed because of the pandmic, there are multiple causes; maybe best not to focus on only one. If you feel worse when y... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
31 viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 34-year-old male asked:
Dr. Hunter Handsfieldanswered
Infectious Disease 55 years experience
Not HPV: Duplicate question. As in my other reply, HPV never causes pain. Given the evaluation you described in your other question, including evaluation by mo... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
200 viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 51-year-old female asked:
Dr. Hunter Handsfieldanswered
Infectious Disease 55 years experience
More info needed: Was the positive test oral or genital? It's rare to catch herpes from a platonic kiss. Your sexual exposure was with a partner who almost certainly is... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
28 viewsAnswered >2 years ago
A 40-year-old female asked:
Dr. Hunter Handsfieldanswered
Infectious Disease 55 years experience
Little or no risk: After recovery from a respiratory virus, the infected person generally is immune to new infection with that particular strain. Probably no risk at all... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
197 viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 28-year-old male asked:
Dr. Hunter Handsfieldanswered
Infectious Disease 55 years experience
Pelvic pain syndrome: I think you're the same person who asked previously about nonbacterial prostatitis. The answer is yes: nonbacterial prostatitis (or chronic pelvic pa... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
149 viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 22-year-old member asked:
Dr. Hunter Handsfieldanswered
Infectious Disease 55 years experience
Prob cold, maybe flu: These are typical common cold symptoms. Without any treatment, it should last a week. With maximum effort, only 7 days. Joking aside, if you get highe... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
106 viewsReviewed Apr 23, 2023
A 28-year-old male asked:
Dr. Hunter Handsfieldanswered
Infectious Disease 55 years experience
HPV reinfection?: Couples do not "ping pong" HPV back and forth. Once infected with any particular HPV types (for genital warts, usually HPV 6 or 11), people are immune... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
29 viewsAnswered >2 years ago
A 25-year-old male asked:
Dr. Hunter Handsfieldanswered
Infectious Disease 55 years experience
Not in combination: You should try doxycycline alone, then consider moxifloxacin if symptoms continue or you still have a positive M genitalium test.
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
493 viewsAnswered >2 years ago
TestimonialsRecommendations and Thank you notes are endorsements given from patients or other doctors.
Recommendations and Thank you notes are endorsements given from patients or other doctors.
94
Recommendations
8.7K
Thank you notes
May 24, 2017
Dr. Handsfield is an outstanding doctor of infectious diseases. He has years of clinical experience and is well respected in his field. I would trust him to care for any family member of mine! Keep u...Read More
Aug 25, 2015
Dr Hunter offers excellent patient advice on a broad range of medical topics in a clear and concise manner. His insightful replies to other Health Tap physicians infectious disease questions is much ...Read More
Oct 27, 2014
Dr H.Hunter Handsfield is an excellent physician he is passionate physician the top of his field and very knowledgeable
HealthTap member
This made me feel good. Thanks! The stress on “slightly” helped. I was checking all my labels for calcium. I was worried about having eggs & cheese for breakfast with my medication. This helped. What ...Read More
HealthTap member
This made me feel good. Thanks! Thanks Sir.. But the Sweating and sticking of hands and foots isn't going. Body Temperature is always high, Sweating in armpits, groin. I feel so frustrated. Can I get ...Read More
HealthTap member
This made me feel good. Thanks! Thank you so very much! I had convinced myself that I had every symptom noted. I am also so excited you were the one who answered my question after weeks of being on th...Read More
Education & Training
Medical/Graduate school
Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons, NY
Graduated 1968MD
Residency
University of Washington Affiliated Hospitals
Completed 1971
Awards
Distinguished Career Award (formerly the Thomas Parran Award), American Sexually Transmitted Diseases Association, 2010
Silver Award, International Union against Sexually Transmitted Infections (IUSTI), 2007
Top Infectious Disease Specialist , Second Place, National - Fall
2014
Affiliations
American Sexually Transmitted Disease Association (Executive Committee, Past President)
Fellow, Infectious Diseases Society of America
Associate Editor, Sexually Transmitted Diseases journal
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