small red bumps on penis, come and go

[pirateking]

I'm a 26 year old sexually active male. Last fall I had unprotected sex with a girl I didn't know, and once with a fairly shady girl but I used a condom.  I've been with another girl since, but she has no symptoms of anything.  My first concern came about two months ago when I found a couple small red bumps on the underside of my penis shaft, with a tiny one on the head (haven't had one on the head since). But ever since, the small bumps come and go every couple days, on the bottom side of the penis shaft (never on the top). They're small, don't hurt, don't itch... just little red bumps, slightly raised, like pimples. Under friction (masturbation or sex), they may get a little more irritated, but are never bigger than a centimeter.  If I masturbate too vigorously, they can open, but still won't hur, and they'll scab over and go away, similar to a popped pimple. Again, never hurt or itch.  I also have had a couple around my navel.  I was told by a friend who's a sex therapist that they don't fit the description of any STD, but they won't stop coming and it scares me.  I've never been much for showering (my whole life).  I'm not a smelly person at all so I only shower once a week or so. Upon her advice, I started showering everyday (and changing my boxers, which I never did much either) but it doesn't seem to change.  Without friction they go away or are very insignificant.  But even with friction they'll scab over and go away.  I'm holding off on getting tested due to the money and medical record, but they just won't go away... they don't even bother me except the stigma of thinking I have some freak version of herpes or HPV.  Any ideas?

[Alan Rockoff, MD]

Things that come and go like that are probably blocked pores, nit STD's.  Your frequency of showering isn't that crucial.  As I've suggested to many other people, just leave the spots alone and show them to your doctor so you'll know for sure what they are.

Take care.

Dr. Rockoff

[pirateking]

Oh yeah, and I usually only have 2 - 4 small bumps.  Once I had more but that was after using that strawberry heating lubricant - obviously really irritated it.  Went away two days later.

[mynameisnobody679]

Question, for you doc, I have had a couple of pimple looking bumps, high up on the thigh.  They go away in one day.  I have had some itchyness in the scrotal region as well.  These bumps, if it was herpes would burst open and create a lesion after 72 hours of the bump, correct???  My last sexual encounter was 30 days ago.  What do you think of this?

[ryn21]

Your symptoms are not typical of herpes.  An initial outbreak would appear on the shaft itself, not the thigh area.  Your condition sounds more like a blocked/infected follicle, not herpes.  The itching in the genital area makes no difference.

[jew boy]

have an old pulled muscel in the testis area like 5 years old did not do nothing about now it not good young girl friend want stay active like half , feel a little pain not alot , can it be fixed , and she want's me to have a ,    what the word  a  visextieme or something like that ?????????????