Is this herpes??

[doublecheese]

Hi, for years now occasionally ive had some pains in my penis region and then small red spots would appear.  Ive never had unprotected sex in my life. Ive also gotten cold sores my whole life, so i figured that would rule out having HSV1 down there....I have received oral sex unprotected a few times...

The red dots never pop, never have any fluid in them, and the ones on my shaft go away sometimes the next day or sometimes last a few days....The thing that worries me is that i feel the pain before it comes, then it gets red, and then it goes away soon after...This has been happening for about 2 years now...

Now i also have like permanent red dots and blotches of redness that are always on the brim of my penis and wont go away. It seems these particular spots ( not the ones that appear on the shaft) are almost permanent on the head of my penis...I think they are the same thing that appears on my shaft, but these dont go away, as the ones on the shaft eventually do...

Im just scared this is a mild case of herpes so i went out and got tested for HSV2 today, I already know I have hsv1 on my mouth....But maybe some how I got it in both regions...But what else could this be??  Every few weeks to get some pain down there and for red dots to appear that are never open cuts or sores or pimples, but just red aggravated circles and blotches...

in this picture you see the 1 red dot 1 inch above my finger and then 2 red dots almost next to each other an inch above that...These marks contain no pain, but i do feel when they are there...Thanks


http://img380.imageshack.us/my.php?image=img0358pb8.jpg

[doublecheese]

Dr. Rockoff? Skin problems don't cause pain?  I get cold sores on the skin, i consider that a skin problem. They cause me lots of pain. I sometimes get a stinging feeling on my penis and then some redness occurs...Is this stinging feeling not a skin problem?

Out of curiosity what type of pain does one usually feel prior to getting redness on the penis if it were some type of herpes?

Thanks a lot for your help Dr.

[Alan Rockoff, MD]

None of this sounds like herpes or any STD.  In fact, it doesn't sound like anything at all.  Don't just go for a blood test--go for an examination, so you can ask someone in person about the various rednesses and spots.  As for the pains, you'll need to ask a doctor in person about those too.  Skin problems don't cause pain.  Perhaps the pains are from anxiety.  But you'll have to be examined so you can ask.  Otherwise, you'll just keep worrying, probably unnecessarily.

Best.

Dr. Rockoff