Penis Problems, Scrotal Situations

[Germie]

Hi, I'm really hoping you can help me.  I'm a 25 year old, uncircumsized, recently married male.  About five years ago after having sex with a girl I hardly knew(stupid, I know)I developed an ulcer under my foreskin.  I went to my doctor and he did tests for STD's and found nothing.  This ulcer developed into a painful rash all over my glans and I went to another doctor who also tested me for STD's and again found nothing, but said it looked like irritation.  At this time two white spots also appeared on the tip of my glans on either side of my urethra so I went to a dermatologist, he said that it may be Lichen Planus, but was not sure.  About nine months had passed and I still had all of these symptoms so I went to a urologist.  He didn't know what any of this meant either so he decided I should be circumsized.  Deciding I did not want to be circumsized, I phoned an STD clinic for advice.  The doctor I talked to said that circumsision was drastic and unnessesary, especially considering the doctors didn't even know what my problem was.  She then said to keep the area clean and dry and to stop putting all these creams on it that the doctors had been prescribing.  I did just that and everything cleared up inside of a month with the exception of these white spots on my glans.  Everything remained the same for about a year and a half, until  started paying attention to these white spots again.  I then started to notice that I have these other white, sliver-like flecks of skin under my foreskin that scratch off, and also these small, cyst-like bumps that also scratch off(Iknow, I should stop picking).  I went back to my doctor and he said he still didn't know what these white spots were and said he was not very concerned about them, but said I could have a biopsy if I wished(I don't wish).  So I left them alone again and they did not change, they don't itch and they don't hurt.  My latest problem now is that for the last year or so I have had this awful red rash on my scrotum that comes and goes in three month intervals.  The itch is very intense and makes me lose a lot of sleep.  Again I went to my doctor and this time he said it was a non-specific rash and that I should put some Polisporin on, and ignore it.(Hard to ignore it when it feels like ants are crawling on your scrotum).  Anyway, so this is where I'm at doctor.  I have tried every kind of cream that ends in 'zone on both the white spots and this damn scrotal rash, and nothing seems to help.  Are all of these symptoms I have had related?  Do I have some kind of dreaded disease?  How much of it may be psychosomatic?  Please help if you can, I'm sick of showing my genitals to my doctor and I'm sure the feeling is mutual.  I just need all of this to go away; I shouldn't have to think about my genitals this much.    Thank you so much.

[Alan Rockoff, MD]

1. Yes.
2. No.
3. Lots.

But let me explain.  If you've been recently married, it's more important than ever that you get this issue off your mind.  In fact, there is no issue at all.  The original symptoms were not those of STD, and they were diagnosed as not STD, and they went away without STD treatment.  Then you started paying attention to some spots or other and picked them into full color.  Srotal itch is also not a ymptom of STD--it's either eczema, or just worry.

Do what the first STD expert suggested: nothing.  Apply nothing and leave the area alone (sex is OK< just no picking.)  Then after a month, show your penis one last time to a dermatologist.  Get a final clean bill of health, as you surely will, along with a name for whatever spots are still visible.

Then enjoy married life and live happily ever after.

Best, and best wishes!

Dr. Rockoff

[Germie]

Thanks man, your answer(s) made me feel tonnes better.  Tons even.

[James A.]

Yet another penis question for you doctor...As I'm sure many of the posters here are, I am concerned and not sure what to make of my symptoms...I am 21 years old.

About three months ago, I started to notice light blotchy areas on the head of my penis...this was around the same time I had very bad eczema on my hands, if it matters at all...anyway, I thought I had damaged some of the tissue in my penis from masturbation, and hoped it would heal up after a while...Of course, I continued to masturbate, so I never really gave anything a chance to heal...actually, it was really hard to not masturbate since I've been doing it routinely for many years...I haven't been sexually active in a while, so I don't think these symptoms would be due to that, but I don't know for sure...over time, I started to develop some additional discoloration on my glans...darker blotches close to the tip...lighter marks near the base...basically, if i didn't know better, i'd say it looks a bit bruised...and my skin is of the kind that leaves a red mark if you even touch it...but since i don't really what a bruised penis looks like, my imagination has been running rampant as to all the bad things it could possibly be...in fact, i've never heard of anyone bruising their penis before (then again, who'd tell me that)...as well, the colour looks different depending on if its erect or not...could it be something to do with bloodflow, or years of not masturbating with proper lubrication?

like you've said before in your replies, half of the problem is usually in the mind of the person fretting over whatever it is...i guess it's just the combination of my obsessive personality, and lack of medical knowledge that leads me personally to start panicking...i just wish i had some idea what my body was doing, so i could feel a bit better...what is your opinion on this?

thanks,

Another Worrywart