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STDs (Expert Forum)
A terrible 5 months
Answered by
University of Washington
Seattle - WA
This forum does not cover AIDS/HIV issues. This forum is for questions and support regarding STD issues such as: Chlamydia, Crabs (pubic lice scabies), Gonorrhea, Hepatitis (viral), Herpes, HPV, Molluscum Contagiosum, PID, Rectal Infections, Syphilis, Trichomonas, Warts, Yeast Infection.
IMPORTANT
This forum is limited to questions about STDs other than HIV/AIDS. For questions about HIV prevention, or if you have general questions about safe sex (e.g., condoms, how to protect yourself from HIV and STDs), please visit the HIV Prevention and Safe Sex Forum
Some of the most common types of questions concern the risk of HIV or STD after a particular sexual exposure, and about symptoms that might or might not be due to HIV. If your question is along these lines, please visit the HIV Prevention and Safe Sex Forum.
This forum is limited to questions about STDs other than HIV/AIDS. For questions about HIV prevention, or if you have general questions about safe sex (e.g., condoms, how to protect yourself from HIV and STDs), please visit the HIV Prevention and Safe Sex Forum
Some of the most common types of questions concern the risk of HIV or STD after a particular sexual exposure, and about symptoms that might or might not be due to HIV. If your question is along these lines, please visit the HIV Prevention and Safe Sex Forum.
A terrible 5 months
by needitresolved, Oct 30, 2005 12:00AM
Hi Doc,
I think I may have herpes which has up until now been misdiagnosed as NSU. I'll try and keep this as simple and brief as I can.
I am a 22 year old uncircumcised male from Sydney, Australia. 5 months ago I had an episode of unprotected sex with a good female friend (my only real risk exposure to date).
36-42 hours later I started to get a stinging pain at the very tip of my penis. It did not hurt to urinate or masturbate. By this time I had left to go on a week long surfing trip so it wasn't till I got back that I could see a doctor (that week consisted of around 4hrs a day in a wet wetsuit).
Got back (pain still there) and spent a night on the internet, got into an absolute panic about herpes. Went to see a GP who had a very quick look and said it wasn't herpes but NSU. Went on Doxyclin
Week later, pain still there went to STD clinic. They did a swab and found elevated level of white blood cells. Had a look, found no evidence of herpes, diagnosed NSU put me on a stronger course of antibiotics.
Went back two weeks later, another swab, white cell count normal. The very next night (after a surf in very dirty post-rain water) saw three tiny red dots/bumps on the head of my penis as well as generall redness. Went to GP 3 days later. By this time dots were gone, but redness persisted. Doc said could not be herpes cause I'd been swabbed the day before, looked like thrush.
Over the next 7 weeks, a singular tiny red bump appeared again 5 times, in different locations on the head of the penis, each about ten days apart. All looked like they were under the skin and each time dissapeared again in 1-2 days without becoming blisters or leaving any lesions. Last time was maybe 2 months ago and nothing like that since.
And finally, and the thing that worries me most: Last week I saw a tiny cut on the inside of my foreskin. I know it appeared within hours of me seeing it as I have been checking myself constantly since this whole thing begun. The cut had healed over within 12 hours and all traces of it were gone in 24-32 hours.
During this whole period I have had constant problems with fluctuating levels of urethral pain, which seems to only now have finally subsided.
I am finally going to get a blood test for HSV but I have a concern: last year I dated a girl for around three months with gential herpes. We never had intercourse but in that time I often performed oral sex on her.
Anyways my questions are:
1. Do my symptoms sound like gential herpes?
2. Does my earlier oral exposure to HSVII mean that I would likely get a positive HSVII result from the blood test either way? If so, what should I do?
3. Is Herpeselect available in Australia, if not what should I ask for?
My sincere apologies for the length and many, many thanks for your work on here. It's been such a help - an oasis of calm and level headedness compared with the herpes mania found on some of the other sites.
I think I may have herpes which has up until now been misdiagnosed as NSU. I'll try and keep this as simple and brief as I can.
I am a 22 year old uncircumcised male from Sydney, Australia. 5 months ago I had an episode of unprotected sex with a good female friend (my only real risk exposure to date).
36-42 hours later I started to get a stinging pain at the very tip of my penis. It did not hurt to urinate or masturbate. By this time I had left to go on a week long surfing trip so it wasn't till I got back that I could see a doctor (that week consisted of around 4hrs a day in a wet wetsuit).
Got back (pain still there) and spent a night on the internet, got into an absolute panic about herpes. Went to see a GP who had a very quick look and said it wasn't herpes but NSU. Went on Doxyclin
Week later, pain still there went to STD clinic. They did a swab and found elevated level of white blood cells. Had a look, found no evidence of herpes, diagnosed NSU put me on a stronger course of antibiotics.
Went back two weeks later, another swab, white cell count normal. The very next night (after a surf in very dirty post-rain water) saw three tiny red dots/bumps on the head of my penis as well as generall redness. Went to GP 3 days later. By this time dots were gone, but redness persisted. Doc said could not be herpes cause I'd been swabbed the day before, looked like thrush.
Over the next 7 weeks, a singular tiny red bump appeared again 5 times, in different locations on the head of the penis, each about ten days apart. All looked like they were under the skin and each time dissapeared again in 1-2 days without becoming blisters or leaving any lesions. Last time was maybe 2 months ago and nothing like that since.
And finally, and the thing that worries me most: Last week I saw a tiny cut on the inside of my foreskin. I know it appeared within hours of me seeing it as I have been checking myself constantly since this whole thing begun. The cut had healed over within 12 hours and all traces of it were gone in 24-32 hours.
During this whole period I have had constant problems with fluctuating levels of urethral pain, which seems to only now have finally subsided.
I am finally going to get a blood test for HSV but I have a concern: last year I dated a girl for around three months with gential herpes. We never had intercourse but in that time I often performed oral sex on her.
Anyways my questions are:
1. Do my symptoms sound like gential herpes?
2. Does my earlier oral exposure to HSVII mean that I would likely get a positive HSVII result from the blood test either way? If so, what should I do?
3. Is Herpeselect available in Australia, if not what should I ask for?
My sincere apologies for the length and many, many thanks for your work on here. It's been such a help - an oasis of calm and level headedness compared with the herpes mania found on some of the other sites.
Doctor's Answer
by H. Hunter Handsfield, M.D., Oct 30, 2005 12:00AM
, Oct 30, 2005 12:00AM
I don't think you have herpes. Herpes symptoms occur episodically, typically every 2-3 months and never more often than once a month, and the symptoms generally last only 3-10 days each time, with total normality between outbreaks. It sounds like your discomfort and other symptoms are much more frequent than this. Second, the lesions you describe do not sound particularly like herpes. You could not have acquired genital herpes from oral exposure to HSV-2.
So I doubt herpes explains your symptoms. However, it is a highly variable disease, and I agree it is reasonable to be tested for it. A negative type-specific test for HSV-2, such as HerpeSelect, would rule it out for sure. A positive result wouldn't prove your symptoms were due to HSV-2, but in that case it would be reasonable to be on the lookout for genital lesions that can be tested for the virus, or perhaps to prescribe a trial of anti-herpes therapy to see if it helps your symptoms. But don't get up too much hope for that outcome.
Your country has the world's very best network of STD clinics, called "sexual health centers", where world-class diagnosis and overall clinical care is available, including accurate HSV antibody tests. You should have ready access if you live near any of the major metropolitan areas. (If you visit the Melbourne, Sydney, or Adleaide SHC, give my greetings; I am close to the medical leadership at each of them.)
Good luck-- HHH, MD
So I doubt herpes explains your symptoms. However, it is a highly variable disease, and I agree it is reasonable to be tested for it. A negative type-specific test for HSV-2, such as HerpeSelect, would rule it out for sure. A positive result wouldn't prove your symptoms were due to HSV-2, but in that case it would be reasonable to be on the lookout for genital lesions that can be tested for the virus, or perhaps to prescribe a trial of anti-herpes therapy to see if it helps your symptoms. But don't get up too much hope for that outcome.
Your country has the world's very best network of STD clinics, called "sexual health centers", where world-class diagnosis and overall clinical care is available, including accurate HSV antibody tests. You should have ready access if you live near any of the major metropolitan areas. (If you visit the Melbourne, Sydney, or Adleaide SHC, give my greetings; I am close to the medical leadership at each of them.)
Good luck-- HHH, MD
Cheers.
I've been to the clinic in Sydney and I agree the standard of care there is excellent.
Could I just clarify one thing:
I didn't mean to say that I could have acquired gential herpes from my previous oral exposure, but could the HSVII virus somehow show up in my blood from that contact - giving me a kind of false positive for genital herpes?
The Sydney SHC folks will be able to sort this out, if anybody can. And since they have examined you and have the opportunity to do so again, their diagnosis and advice will be much more reliable than mine.
HHH, MD
They said to wait and see if I have any more cuts similar to the one I had, and then present for a culture. What do you think doc? Like you, I am reasonably confident that those bumps and the urethral pain are not due to herpes, it's that cut I am worried about.
The nurse on the phone said she did not think it was herpes because: there was no blister/s, it was by itself with no rash, it was painless, and it healed very quickly.
If I don't have another cut like the one I've already had, do you think I can be confident the first one was not due to herpes?
I have to say, I don't relsih the thought of constantly examining myself for another six months.
This was only my second sexual partner, the first being a long-term girl-friend I'm sure had no STDs.
Thanks again for your time.