Classical Herpes Symptoms?

[Billbro]

Hello,

I had unprotected anal sex two days in a row (same partner), and I did not use lubrication either time.  About 2 days later I noticed one small red bump on the lower part of the head of my penis.  I stretched the skin around it to flatten it out in order to get a better look at it, and it appeared to be a watery blister which broke when I stretched the skin.  There was just a little bit of the watery substance, and after it broke I noticed a very tiny pinhole (maybe the size of a pore?).  When I released the skin, it was just a red area, with no loss of skin similar to an ulceration.  Aside from the area being red, there was nothing else apparent.  I tiny scab did eventually form where I thought I saw the "pinhole."  I saw a dermatologist almost a week later, and she attempted to remove the scab with a razor blade in order to take a culture.  She resorted to only swabbing the scab.  When I took a shower that night, the scab was loose; so I pulled it off.  It was a little watery underneath.  The next night (a week after the first red bump) I noticed two small red bumps next to the scab, about the size of the tip of a pen.  They were NOT BLISTERY, but this time the dermatologist cut the red dots with a razor blade and she said there was a watery substance which she swabbed.  She also said it looked like herpes and started me on Valtrex.  The scab from the first red bump went away 10 days after it first appeared.

I have had HSV-1 since I was a child (33yo now); so I know what the tingling, itching, and painful ulcerations on my lips are like.  This recent event never had any tingling, pain, itching, ulcerations, or anything closely resembling the herpes outbreaks I get on my lips 1-2 times a year.  Aside from looking at the small effected area on the head of my penis, I would never know there's anything going on down there.  There's also NO pain to the touch (except a little bit after the doctor cut them for the culture).

I'm still waiting for my culture results (been almost a week), as well as the blood results (which should come up positive for HSV-1 antibodies).

Q1> Sound like genital herpes?
Q2> Is there a lack of symptoms because I have HSV-1?

Thanks a bunch for taking the time to read my long-winded explanation :-)

[Alan Rockoff, MD]

Does not sound like herpes.  Since the dermatologist cultured the lesion while it was still watery, it should be reliable one way or another--a negative culture should be reassuring.  If the condition recurs, show the doctor as soon as you can for evaluation and culture.  

Your HSV-1 would not prevent a new outbreak of blistery HSV-2 on the genitals.  But it doesn't sound like that's what you have.

Best.

Dr. Rockoff

[dmanp]

I have had anal sex with a women in which the condom broke.  A month or so later I began to have pain in my groin area.  I noticed two small pimples, which looked like the pimples I get on my back, like acne.  However it did not have a white head, it was just red.  They never broke, they just went away after a few weeks.  The pain in my groin seems to be mostly focused underneath the testicles.  What makes it especially hard to recognize symptoms is that I have had back pains for many years due to an accident I had.  It seems, however that my back pains have gotten worse around the time the small red bumps appeared.  The pain radiates to my feet, which hasn't happened before.  Please respond, I appreciate it, thanks.

[dmanp]

I have had anal sex with a women in which the condom broke.  A month or so later I began to have pain in my groin area.  I noticed two small pimples, which looked like the pimples I get on my back, like acne.  However it did not have a white head, it was just red.  They never broke, they just went away after a few weeks.  The pain in my groin seems to be mostly focused underneath the testicles.  What makes it especially hard to recognize symptoms is that I have had back pains for many years due to an accident I had.  It seems, however that my back pains have gotten worse around the time the small red bumps appeared.  The pain radiates to my feet, which hasn't happened before.  Please respond, I appreciate it, thanks.

[ayw24]

My boyfriend and I havn't had very much sex since we have been together over six months.  Occassional sex here and there.  He came home this past weekend and I was very happy to see him to say the least.  We had sex that night and I was very sore afterwards.  The next day, though I was sore I continued to have sex again as well as the following day.  My labias were sore.  I am not very good at lubricating myself before intercourse so I believed I was very very raw from the penetration.  I went to the doctor two days later because I was still very, very sore.  She mentioned taking a herpes test just to be safe.  She said that my discharge was normal and so was everything else except the swollen area on my left labia, which had a tare in it.  My boyfriend and I have been faithful to one another, is there anything I should worry about?  I though my reasons for being sore were because I didn't have enough lubrication and I eventually was "rubbed" raw since my sexual activity is not very up there.  Could anyone help me? I am begining to panic although everything I am reading doesn't fit what is wrong with me.