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STDs (Expert Forum)
Quick question(s)
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.
Quick question(s)
by Turnpike, Apr 13, 2006 12:00AM
Hello Doctor,
Here’s my story. I’m male and about six months ago I allowed a man to perform oral sex on me, (first sexual experience/I asked about his std status beforehand and he said he was clear) and we also engaged in mutual masturbation. A few days after this encounter I noticed that the tip (meatus) of my penis was looking really red, so I went to the local health clinic for a full STD check up . . . This was about 13 days after the event.
I was checked for everything they offered like Chlamydia, HIV, Syphilis, and Gonorrhea. The swab test results came back positive for Gonorrhea/everything else was negative (I did notify my partner). I was given a single pill of Cipro and a week’s worth of Doxy. I never have experienced any discharge at all . . . just irritation of the meatus. Anyway, I went back a couple of weeks later for another check up and the test results for Gonorrhea/Chlamydia were both negative. I was feeling really good and decided it was time to move on, but the meatus redness persisted. I went back one final time and they said that it was nothing to worry about, and they did notice that the meatus was inflamed, but sent me on my way with another course of Doxy saying everything was fine. It has been six months since the irritation started and it is now starting to subside, but it’s defiantly still there. Of course HIV entered my mind, so I took The Home Access test 83 days after the encounter and the result was negative. I started thinking that Herpes may be the cause, but the redness has persisted this long and I’m very sure that if in fact it was Herpes it would have cleared/possibly returned, and I have no lesions that would suggest it. So, here are my questions:
1. Have you ever seen a patient have meatus (possibly scarring) irritation that lasted a long time after an infection? I know that it’s a very sensitive area and may take longer to properly heal.
2. Do you feel that it’s necessary for me to take another HIV test after my 83 day negative because I was diagnosed with Gonorrhea? There are folks that seem to question the generation of testing that Home Access uses, but I waited until the window period was up, so I believe that this test should be final. Do you agree?
3.My doctors seem stumped as to what is causing the redness, so I was wondering if there was any advice you had regarding this issue. I don’t mind going to the clinic again. I just get discouraged when they can’t seem to pinpoint what the cause of irritation may be. I asked about NGU, but they didn’t believe that was the cause.
4. If the redness had anything to do with primary Syphilis would the 2 courses of Doxy/single pill of Cipro cleared it up?
Sorry about the long winded message. I really do appreciate your time and services.
Thanks!
Here’s my story. I’m male and about six months ago I allowed a man to perform oral sex on me, (first sexual experience/I asked about his std status beforehand and he said he was clear) and we also engaged in mutual masturbation. A few days after this encounter I noticed that the tip (meatus) of my penis was looking really red, so I went to the local health clinic for a full STD check up . . . This was about 13 days after the event.
I was checked for everything they offered like Chlamydia, HIV, Syphilis, and Gonorrhea. The swab test results came back positive for Gonorrhea/everything else was negative (I did notify my partner). I was given a single pill of Cipro and a week’s worth of Doxy. I never have experienced any discharge at all . . . just irritation of the meatus. Anyway, I went back a couple of weeks later for another check up and the test results for Gonorrhea/Chlamydia were both negative. I was feeling really good and decided it was time to move on, but the meatus redness persisted. I went back one final time and they said that it was nothing to worry about, and they did notice that the meatus was inflamed, but sent me on my way with another course of Doxy saying everything was fine. It has been six months since the irritation started and it is now starting to subside, but it’s defiantly still there. Of course HIV entered my mind, so I took The Home Access test 83 days after the encounter and the result was negative. I started thinking that Herpes may be the cause, but the redness has persisted this long and I’m very sure that if in fact it was Herpes it would have cleared/possibly returned, and I have no lesions that would suggest it. So, here are my questions:
1. Have you ever seen a patient have meatus (possibly scarring) irritation that lasted a long time after an infection? I know that it’s a very sensitive area and may take longer to properly heal.
2. Do you feel that it’s necessary for me to take another HIV test after my 83 day negative because I was diagnosed with Gonorrhea? There are folks that seem to question the generation of testing that Home Access uses, but I waited until the window period was up, so I believe that this test should be final. Do you agree?
3.My doctors seem stumped as to what is causing the redness, so I was wondering if there was any advice you had regarding this issue. I don’t mind going to the clinic again. I just get discouraged when they can’t seem to pinpoint what the cause of irritation may be. I asked about NGU, but they didn’t believe that was the cause.
4. If the redness had anything to do with primary Syphilis would the 2 courses of Doxy/single pill of Cipro cleared it up?
Sorry about the long winded message. I really do appreciate your time and services.
Thanks!
Doctor's Answer
by H. Hunter Handsfield, M.D., Apr 13, 2006 12:00AM
, Apr 13, 2006 12:00AM
Bad luck to get gonorrhea on your very first sexual exposure, and by oral sex; and to not have any urethral (penile) discharge. But more likely than not the test was valid. And the treatment you received was reliable and effective.
I'm not sure what you mean by "irritation". If it's just redness, then almost certainly nothing abnormal is going on. If there is pain, that might be more significant. However, it is unusual for urethral pain and/or redness to be the only manifestation of herpes, and more important, you are right that herpes symptoms would be intermittent, not continuous. You can put herpes out of your mind as a possile cause.
But what is causing your symptoms is just a guessing game. To answer your specific questions:
1) Gonorrhea alone would not cause the persisting symptoms you describe.
2) No, there is no need for HIV testing beyond 83 days. (Odds your partner had HIV when he says he doesn't, maybe 10% tops. Odds you caught it through a single episode of fellatio, if he was infected, maybe 1 in 10,000, tops. Odds of a negative HIV test at 83 days, if you are infected, no more than 1 in 100. Multiply those figures to get the odds you have HIV that would be detected by another test: 0.1 x 0.00001 x 0.01 = 0.00000001. That's one chance in 10 million. In other words, zero.) See numerous other threads about "time to positive HIV test" for further information.
3) Anxiety (magnifying otherwise normal body sensations) may be the best bet. In any case, you can be confident you have nothing that will harm you or a future sex partner.
4) Doxycycline would have prevented incubating syphilis, although cipro has no effect. Anyway, syphilis isn't a likely cause of 2+ months of just urethral redness or "irritation".
Bottom line: Follow up with your health care provider if your symptoms persist. My prediction is that they will just fade with time.
Good luck-- HHH, MD
I'm not sure what you mean by "irritation". If it's just redness, then almost certainly nothing abnormal is going on. If there is pain, that might be more significant. However, it is unusual for urethral pain and/or redness to be the only manifestation of herpes, and more important, you are right that herpes symptoms would be intermittent, not continuous. You can put herpes out of your mind as a possile cause.
But what is causing your symptoms is just a guessing game. To answer your specific questions:
1) Gonorrhea alone would not cause the persisting symptoms you describe.
2) No, there is no need for HIV testing beyond 83 days. (Odds your partner had HIV when he says he doesn't, maybe 10% tops. Odds you caught it through a single episode of fellatio, if he was infected, maybe 1 in 10,000, tops. Odds of a negative HIV test at 83 days, if you are infected, no more than 1 in 100. Multiply those figures to get the odds you have HIV that would be detected by another test: 0.1 x 0.00001 x 0.01 = 0.00000001. That's one chance in 10 million. In other words, zero.) See numerous other threads about "time to positive HIV test" for further information.
3) Anxiety (magnifying otherwise normal body sensations) may be the best bet. In any case, you can be confident you have nothing that will harm you or a future sex partner.
4) Doxycycline would have prevented incubating syphilis, although cipro has no effect. Anyway, syphilis isn't a likely cause of 2+ months of just urethral redness or "irritation".
Bottom line: Follow up with your health care provider if your symptoms persist. My prediction is that they will just fade with time.
Good luck-- HHH, MD
Thank you for your responses. Yeah, when I say ‘irritation’ I really just mean redness. I was really surprised by the positive results because of the lack of symptoms (the physician was really surprised as well). I feel much better hearing your responses. I thought that Gonorrhea could cause scarring at the site of where the bacteria entered the body/this made me think that the bacteria could have caused the redness that I was experiencing, but it’s unlikely that the redness would have lasted this long. I agree w/ you regarding anxiety… ever since the test result came back positive (and later negative) I’ve been checking myself consistently. It’s time to let it go.
Thank you so much for advice.
Thanks!
I never followed up with a response on 4/8/2006. I feel I and Alfombra 4/9/2006 deserve a response to events that have transpired to alfrombra in the last few days and myself due to your unequivocal idea that she positively didnt have HSV! She does by your standards and I am hoping that out of professional integrity and everyone trying to understand HSV that you comment and explain it to us!!!!!!!!!
Thank you for your input if it happens!!!!!
Again sorry and thanks for the valuable information!!