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STDs (Expert Forum)
STD or Virus?
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.
STD or Virus?
by dvhulk, Jul 27, 2006 12:00AM
Hi,I am a 29 y/o male. About 13 weeks ago I had sex with a woman when the condom broke. I didnt notice for 15-20 min. I have since negatively tested for HIV 3 times (most recently at 12 weeks). Ever since the 'incident' occured I've had a sore throat (and referred ear pain). I seem to have developed a lesion behind where my left tonsil used to be (had them removed as a child). I also feel pain, intermitently, in my jaw, armpits, testicles, and right side of my groin. The head of my penius (on the left side)also burns occasionally.
I went to the walk-in clinic the day after the incident and was given pills (I have no idea which ones) for gonoreah and chlamydia (I think). I haven't had any genital sores, but my penis/testicle pain makes me wonder if it's all releated to my throat. The doctors I've seen dismiss the lesion in my throat as a canker. I've made an appointment with an ENT (but it isn't until Oct). Given that I never had any of these symptoms before this event occured (and never had unprotected sex before that) it seems to me like everthing is related. I don't smoke/drink and cancer doesn't run in my family. My throat lesion hurts on a daily basis.
My Questions
1) Are my symptoms possibly related to a non-HIV related STD? During the incident I had vagnial sex (protected unitl the condom broke), received unprotected oral sex, and engaged in kissing.
2) Could I have oral/throat cancer? I know this isn't the cancer forum, but I was hoping you could shed some light. Would a cancerous lesion burn? It doesn't hurt to touch.
3) Could the symptoms be related to HIV? I've had my sore throat for more than 90 days. It started four/five days after the incident. I'm not sure when I first noticed the lesion.
Two more things. I recently developed a couple of 'whittish' sores on my gums (next to each other). They've almost cleared up after ~10 days. I've also had pain in lymph node areas (neck & collarbone)ever since the incident. They are not enlaged and do not hurt to the touch. The pain is more like a mild stabbing/shooting pain.
I'd sincerely appreciate the feedback
I went to the walk-in clinic the day after the incident and was given pills (I have no idea which ones) for gonoreah and chlamydia (I think). I haven't had any genital sores, but my penis/testicle pain makes me wonder if it's all releated to my throat. The doctors I've seen dismiss the lesion in my throat as a canker. I've made an appointment with an ENT (but it isn't until Oct). Given that I never had any of these symptoms before this event occured (and never had unprotected sex before that) it seems to me like everthing is related. I don't smoke/drink and cancer doesn't run in my family. My throat lesion hurts on a daily basis.
My Questions
1) Are my symptoms possibly related to a non-HIV related STD? During the incident I had vagnial sex (protected unitl the condom broke), received unprotected oral sex, and engaged in kissing.
2) Could I have oral/throat cancer? I know this isn't the cancer forum, but I was hoping you could shed some light. Would a cancerous lesion burn? It doesn't hurt to touch.
3) Could the symptoms be related to HIV? I've had my sore throat for more than 90 days. It started four/five days after the incident. I'm not sure when I first noticed the lesion.
Two more things. I recently developed a couple of 'whittish' sores on my gums (next to each other). They've almost cleared up after ~10 days. I've also had pain in lymph node areas (neck & collarbone)ever since the incident. They are not enlaged and do not hurt to the touch. The pain is more like a mild stabbing/shooting pain.
I'd sincerely appreciate the feedback
Doctor's Answer
by H. Hunter Handsfield, M.D., Jul 27, 2006 12:00AM
, Jul 27, 2006 12:00AM
I'll go straight to your questions.
1) I suppose you could have caught a cold from your partner, as an explanation for the early symptoms (but not for any symptoms beyond 1-2 weeks). And if the throat "lesion" you "seem to have developed" is an open sore, conceivably you had syphilis--but the pills you were given (and undoubtedly didn't need) likely would have aborted syphilis if you had it. Anyway, heterosexually transmitted syphilis is very rare in most parts of the US and most industrialized countries. Conceivably you could have caught mononucleosis, which often is sexually transmitted. But most likely your symptoms are unrelated to the sexual exposure, except for the possibility that some of them may reflect anxiety over the event.
2) Oral cancer is a rare disease, especially at your age. Of course I cannot say you don't have it, but if you are one of the rare unlucky ones, it has nothing to do with the sexual exposure several weeks ago.
3) No, there is no possibility that any of this is due to HIV.
You have no way of knowing that pain in the location you describe has anything to do with lymph nodes. Most likely it does not.
So follow through with your plans to see a health care provider. Discuss the notion of testing for syphilis and mono, if those tests haven't yet been done. I'm not sure you need an ENT specialist, but s/he probably can sort it out. Follow his or her advice. But don't lose sleep in the meantime. This doesn't sound like anything serious.
Good luck-- HHH, MD
1) I suppose you could have caught a cold from your partner, as an explanation for the early symptoms (but not for any symptoms beyond 1-2 weeks). And if the throat "lesion" you "seem to have developed" is an open sore, conceivably you had syphilis--but the pills you were given (and undoubtedly didn't need) likely would have aborted syphilis if you had it. Anyway, heterosexually transmitted syphilis is very rare in most parts of the US and most industrialized countries. Conceivably you could have caught mononucleosis, which often is sexually transmitted. But most likely your symptoms are unrelated to the sexual exposure, except for the possibility that some of them may reflect anxiety over the event.
2) Oral cancer is a rare disease, especially at your age. Of course I cannot say you don't have it, but if you are one of the rare unlucky ones, it has nothing to do with the sexual exposure several weeks ago.
3) No, there is no possibility that any of this is due to HIV.
You have no way of knowing that pain in the location you describe has anything to do with lymph nodes. Most likely it does not.
So follow through with your plans to see a health care provider. Discuss the notion of testing for syphilis and mono, if those tests haven't yet been done. I'm not sure you need an ENT specialist, but s/he probably can sort it out. Follow his or her advice. But don't lose sleep in the meantime. This doesn't sound like anything serious.
Good luck-- HHH, MD
