Aa
Herpes from anal fingering?
On Thursday, Oct 27 visited massage parlour. As usual tried to keep it safe where I massaged her but didn’t touch her private parts. She gave me some condom protected oral and while I lay back she, a first time experience for me, inserted a finger into my anus. I stopped her almost immediately – perhaps 1 to 2 secs – because her finger nail was sharp. No blood seemed to be drawn, though, and there was no exchange of fluid. She had been with me for 25 minutes before the fingering incident took place.
Three days late I’d itchy buttocks and a slight feeling in my anus. But the itchy buttocks was the main symptom for the next two days – not too itchy, though, so I didn’t need to scratch it. Three or four red spots had appeared on my buttocks. The itchiness disappeared and a slight burning was apparent in my anus all day for the next two days joined by discomfort in my lower abdomen which might have been due to anxiety.
Then the anal burning became intermittent and disappeared altogether for two days only for it and the itching to return albeit only occasionally. Here I’m 15 days after the symptoms started and I still have these barely noticeable itchy and burning symptoms aside from which I've felt fine. The red spots had remained flat for 14 days until I looked last night and two or three now had a single vesticle. I’ve never had a cold sore or an sti and have always had good health but this is perhaps beginning to look like a possible primary herpes infection from a 1-2 second fingering incident.
Three days late I’d itchy buttocks and a slight feeling in my anus. But the itchy buttocks was the main symptom for the next two days – not too itchy, though, so I didn’t need to scratch it. Three or four red spots had appeared on my buttocks. The itchiness disappeared and a slight burning was apparent in my anus all day for the next two days joined by discomfort in my lower abdomen which might have been due to anxiety.
Then the anal burning became intermittent and disappeared altogether for two days only for it and the itching to return albeit only occasionally. Here I’m 15 days after the symptoms started and I still have these barely noticeable itchy and burning symptoms aside from which I've felt fine. The red spots had remained flat for 14 days until I looked last night and two or three now had a single vesticle. I’ve never had a cold sore or an sti and have always had good health but this is perhaps beginning to look like a possible primary herpes infection from a 1-2 second fingering incident.
Ten weeks since encounter, symptoms continue, now getting lower back ache, occasional twinge between shoulder blades. Both buttocks still sore but mostly this soreness is only apparent when sitting. Pretty sure this is all neuralgia.
Slight excess rectum mucus production has continued since Dec 23. New pimples recently appeared on left hamstring and right knee. Not had any pimples on my buttocks for the past two weeks despite the soreness continuing there. Never had any pimples anywhere near my anus.
Saw another doctor on Dec 28 who saw the fresh pimples and the distribution of those that had come before and felt this was a mild case of folliculitis. He did a digital examination of my anus and couldn’t find any lumps or anything unusual. No treatment required but to return to him in a few weeks if the excess mucus production should continue. Syphilis, Hep B and fourth generation HIV tests at 54 days post encounter came back negative not that there was much doubt there.
The lady had false fingernails on and I’m hoping that it was some bacteria under those nails that the rectal swab didn’t pick up.
I’ve never had itching or burning sensations in these areas or around my mouth before so I’m confident that if any of this was due to herpes it would be a primary outbreak. And yet where this lady touched me – my rectum – has largely been unaffected except for occasional burning or itching over the past 10 weeks – not until the last two weeks has the irritation caused any outward signs now with the excessive mucus production.
As far as I remember she never touched my buttocks so why were the symptoms primarily there and not where she did touch me? If this had been a high risk event and you looked at the lengthening list of symptoms would you still be thinking this is not herpes related?
Dr Handfield (?) has told others that a primary infection would affect the genitalia and not the buttocks. And even with a recurrence it would only affect a small area on one buttock and not have the wide distribution of pimples I’ve suffered on both buttocks and down both legs to my calf muscles. Or for pimples to come and go and others pop up elsewhere. A herpes infection wouldn’t last as long as ten weeks. And as I’m pretty sure I’ve not been infected with any type of herpes before wouldn’t my symptoms have been more severe with painful blisters/sores?
Although I never get ill perhaps my immune system is not as strong as I assumed as my lymph nodes seemed unaffected until the seventh week. Have to be worried, though, as these sore buttocks and other nerve pains are what others mentioned who did go on to test positive. There is a limit to the symptoms that anxiety can cause. Other websites including those of professional medical bodies suggest a risk of herpes from being fingered although I can’t find any reports of anyone having contracted it that way which is surprising if it was a risk as I note that prostate massage is one of the services masseuses offer. And I’d imagine it’s quite often done without a glove and is the only ‘risk’ the client puts themselves to.
Slight excess rectum mucus production has continued since Dec 23. New pimples recently appeared on left hamstring and right knee. Not had any pimples on my buttocks for the past two weeks despite the soreness continuing there. Never had any pimples anywhere near my anus.
Saw another doctor on Dec 28 who saw the fresh pimples and the distribution of those that had come before and felt this was a mild case of folliculitis. He did a digital examination of my anus and couldn’t find any lumps or anything unusual. No treatment required but to return to him in a few weeks if the excess mucus production should continue. Syphilis, Hep B and fourth generation HIV tests at 54 days post encounter came back negative not that there was much doubt there.
The lady had false fingernails on and I’m hoping that it was some bacteria under those nails that the rectal swab didn’t pick up.
I’ve never had itching or burning sensations in these areas or around my mouth before so I’m confident that if any of this was due to herpes it would be a primary outbreak. And yet where this lady touched me – my rectum – has largely been unaffected except for occasional burning or itching over the past 10 weeks – not until the last two weeks has the irritation caused any outward signs now with the excessive mucus production.
As far as I remember she never touched my buttocks so why were the symptoms primarily there and not where she did touch me? If this had been a high risk event and you looked at the lengthening list of symptoms would you still be thinking this is not herpes related?
Dr Handfield (?) has told others that a primary infection would affect the genitalia and not the buttocks. And even with a recurrence it would only affect a small area on one buttock and not have the wide distribution of pimples I’ve suffered on both buttocks and down both legs to my calf muscles. Or for pimples to come and go and others pop up elsewhere. A herpes infection wouldn’t last as long as ten weeks. And as I’m pretty sure I’ve not been infected with any type of herpes before wouldn’t my symptoms have been more severe with painful blisters/sores?
Although I never get ill perhaps my immune system is not as strong as I assumed as my lymph nodes seemed unaffected until the seventh week. Have to be worried, though, as these sore buttocks and other nerve pains are what others mentioned who did go on to test positive. There is a limit to the symptoms that anxiety can cause. Other websites including those of professional medical bodies suggest a risk of herpes from being fingered although I can’t find any reports of anyone having contracted it that way which is surprising if it was a risk as I note that prostate massage is one of the services masseuses offer. And I’d imagine it’s quite often done without a glove and is the only ‘risk’ the client puts themselves to.
Yes, I know what you mean about anxiety but at least it keeps a check on my behaviour compared to non-anxious types who regularly perform risky acts at these parlours.
Just thought I'd give you an update. Approaching nine weeks since my anal fingering encounter and my symptoms continue.
During the seventh week I'd new symptoms such as itching around my crotch and soreness in the groin - especially the left groin. This soreness in the lymph node area didn't lead to swelling but it was more or less continuous for five or six days. I then picked two of the recent white head pimples on my buttocks and no fluid appeared - they just left a blood spot so maybe they are not hsv.
By the eighth week even though pimples stopped forming on my buttocks I still felt slight soreness when sitting and occasional itchiness.
On Dec 20, 54 days after encounter I noticed more prominent itching in anus. Dec 21, 22 more prolonged burning in anus. Then for the first time late Dec 22 started to get anal discharge. This has continued albeit slightly ever since. I can never see it only feel it - it must be a clear mucus that doesn't smell. Only occasional mild feelings of anal irritation since Dec 23 while this discharge continues.
Pimples continue to appear in the past two weeks but only a few now on my right hamstring and left hip.
Just thought I'd give you an update. Approaching nine weeks since my anal fingering encounter and my symptoms continue.
During the seventh week I'd new symptoms such as itching around my crotch and soreness in the groin - especially the left groin. This soreness in the lymph node area didn't lead to swelling but it was more or less continuous for five or six days. I then picked two of the recent white head pimples on my buttocks and no fluid appeared - they just left a blood spot so maybe they are not hsv.
By the eighth week even though pimples stopped forming on my buttocks I still felt slight soreness when sitting and occasional itchiness.
On Dec 20, 54 days after encounter I noticed more prominent itching in anus. Dec 21, 22 more prolonged burning in anus. Then for the first time late Dec 22 started to get anal discharge. This has continued albeit slightly ever since. I can never see it only feel it - it must be a clear mucus that doesn't smell. Only occasional mild feelings of anal irritation since Dec 23 while this discharge continues.
Pimples continue to appear in the past two weeks but only a few now on my right hamstring and left hip.
Hi! Went to the sexual health clinic on day 19 after encounter. The doctor with over 20 years’ experience in this field said the same as you that you will not get herpes or any other sti from being fingered. A visual diagnosis of my buttock spots – after she had at first struggled to see them - was that they were ‘normal, everyday spots’. A nurse concurred with her. The doctor could see no redness in or around my anus – and with no risk from my encounter felt that no testing was required. I insisted and I’d blood and urine samples and a rectal swab taken - don't suppose even the latter will help determine herpes infection?.
A wave of optimism passed over me with her and your ‘no risk’ comments and all the itchy, burning symptoms that were not much to start with disappeared. I was symptom free for the next three days. The second asymptomatic period since the symptoms started – I’d one earlier for two days.
Anticipating my test results caused raised anxiety and my burning, itching symptoms to return. Due to ‘technical issues’ throughout the region my results didn’t come within the normal week but took three weeks. All tests were negative including HIV which is always nice to get with these modern tests even at 19 days. But all that unexpected time waiting for my results left enough time for my anxiety to ratchet up especially through doctor google. I swear the internet would make the common cold seem scary.
In the first two weeks the pimples were confined to my right buttock, but since then I’ve had a few more there but also some on my left buttock, down the back of my right thigh, one or two on the outside and inside of my left thigh, one on the inside of my right knee, four on my right knee, one on my left shin and one on my right calf. So some outside the boxer shorts region. I must have had 50 or 60 spots over the past five weeks – most were tiny and now fading away. Possibly five to ten are recent ones with some containing a white feathery centre. Only recently have I prodded any and they neither hurt nor itch. Difficult to know where the itchiness comes from as I only notice it when sitting and often it seems to come from areas where there are no spots such as my left buttock and back of my left leg. Or is the itchiness where new spots will eventually appear? I agree with the doctor about them being ‘normal, everyday spots’ as I’ve had them before on my legs and who knows I might have had them on my right buttock even before this encounter – never really looked at that area before. But dozens of these spots have occurred since this encounter.
I’m pretty sure that I only touched her with my hands – she wore knickers throughout - and she only touched me with her hands. Her hands never touched my buttocks. But oddly where she did finger me there are no pimples in or around my anus.
Is this anxiety-induced pruritus ani? One of the problems of visiting CSWs is that I only need to get a symptom within 30 days of visiting them and I’m immediately going to associate it with the encounter. Could I have felt an itch on my buttocks on day 3 – an itch that I occasionally get anyway – and kept it going non-stop for the next three days? I just didn’t feel that anxious in the first few days. Although I can remember thinking on the second day of buttock itching that I’d no anal symptoms and would you believe within half an hour I got a slight burning sensation there which also kept going. I’ve had anxiety-induced proctalgia fugax before where I’d have fleeting pains in the anus but here I’d these vague burning symptoms for the next three days non-stop.
Five weeks after the symptoms started I still have what are now sore buttocks when sitting down with occasional itchy sensations. Although I’ve never felt the need to scratch anything. Since the first week anal symptoms have been only fleeting burning sensations – there for a split second and gone.
I’ve only rarely felt any of these symptoms when stood up or lying in bed. If you were me would you just forget all of this and move on as I know if I tried to get these Igg type specific tests at 16 weeks the clinic would laugh me out of there and I’d probably keep these symptoms going until then. I’ve had burning skin caused by my anxiety before but never itchy skin. And my anxiety has never caused this number of spots before either.
Obviously a primary herpes infection affects people in different ways but there might be certain aspects of similarity. Can a primary herpes infection not affect the site of infection but, say, the right buttock for the first two weeks, then spread to left buttock and down the legs in weeks three to five? Even in an outbreak is the site of attack established in the first day or so even when it covers a large part of the boxer shorts region?
Many thanks. Hope some of this will help others.
A wave of optimism passed over me with her and your ‘no risk’ comments and all the itchy, burning symptoms that were not much to start with disappeared. I was symptom free for the next three days. The second asymptomatic period since the symptoms started – I’d one earlier for two days.
Anticipating my test results caused raised anxiety and my burning, itching symptoms to return. Due to ‘technical issues’ throughout the region my results didn’t come within the normal week but took three weeks. All tests were negative including HIV which is always nice to get with these modern tests even at 19 days. But all that unexpected time waiting for my results left enough time for my anxiety to ratchet up especially through doctor google. I swear the internet would make the common cold seem scary.
In the first two weeks the pimples were confined to my right buttock, but since then I’ve had a few more there but also some on my left buttock, down the back of my right thigh, one or two on the outside and inside of my left thigh, one on the inside of my right knee, four on my right knee, one on my left shin and one on my right calf. So some outside the boxer shorts region. I must have had 50 or 60 spots over the past five weeks – most were tiny and now fading away. Possibly five to ten are recent ones with some containing a white feathery centre. Only recently have I prodded any and they neither hurt nor itch. Difficult to know where the itchiness comes from as I only notice it when sitting and often it seems to come from areas where there are no spots such as my left buttock and back of my left leg. Or is the itchiness where new spots will eventually appear? I agree with the doctor about them being ‘normal, everyday spots’ as I’ve had them before on my legs and who knows I might have had them on my right buttock even before this encounter – never really looked at that area before. But dozens of these spots have occurred since this encounter.
I’m pretty sure that I only touched her with my hands – she wore knickers throughout - and she only touched me with her hands. Her hands never touched my buttocks. But oddly where she did finger me there are no pimples in or around my anus.
Is this anxiety-induced pruritus ani? One of the problems of visiting CSWs is that I only need to get a symptom within 30 days of visiting them and I’m immediately going to associate it with the encounter. Could I have felt an itch on my buttocks on day 3 – an itch that I occasionally get anyway – and kept it going non-stop for the next three days? I just didn’t feel that anxious in the first few days. Although I can remember thinking on the second day of buttock itching that I’d no anal symptoms and would you believe within half an hour I got a slight burning sensation there which also kept going. I’ve had anxiety-induced proctalgia fugax before where I’d have fleeting pains in the anus but here I’d these vague burning symptoms for the next three days non-stop.
Five weeks after the symptoms started I still have what are now sore buttocks when sitting down with occasional itchy sensations. Although I’ve never felt the need to scratch anything. Since the first week anal symptoms have been only fleeting burning sensations – there for a split second and gone.
I’ve only rarely felt any of these symptoms when stood up or lying in bed. If you were me would you just forget all of this and move on as I know if I tried to get these Igg type specific tests at 16 weeks the clinic would laugh me out of there and I’d probably keep these symptoms going until then. I’ve had burning skin caused by my anxiety before but never itchy skin. And my anxiety has never caused this number of spots before either.
Obviously a primary herpes infection affects people in different ways but there might be certain aspects of similarity. Can a primary herpes infection not affect the site of infection but, say, the right buttock for the first two weeks, then spread to left buttock and down the legs in weeks three to five? Even in an outbreak is the site of attack established in the first day or so even when it covers a large part of the boxer shorts region?
Many thanks. Hope some of this will help others.
Good answer. Thanks for that. Especially about there being no viral shedding on the finger and that if there was a whitlow finger it would have been too sore for her to want to insert it and that I’d have noticed any sores on her finger, too. She didn’t touch herself and if it was a viral infection I’d normally get a fever. There is no indication of my body fighting an infection – I feel too well for that.
She didn’t touch my buttocks and where she did touch my anus there are no outward signs just occasionally a slight burning sensation. This is not likely to be a secondary infection causing this symptom because nobody has ever touched my anus before.
Plenty of people seem to report these itchy, burning sensations and red spots following being fingered but nobody seems to report back that if it isn't hsv what it actually was. I’ll report my results.
She didn’t touch my buttocks and where she did touch my anus there are no outward signs just occasionally a slight burning sensation. This is not likely to be a secondary infection causing this symptom because nobody has ever touched my anus before.
Plenty of people seem to report these itchy, burning sensations and red spots following being fingered but nobody seems to report back that if it isn't hsv what it actually was. I’ll report my results.
1 Comments
Zero risk. I assure you
You had zero risk for hsv from the brief fingering. It would have to come from herpes whitlow (herpes of the hand or finger). Whitlow is rare and it doesn't shed without an outbreak happening. Whitlow is painful and easily noticed. She wouldn't finger you with an outbreak. Again, zero risk here.
Have an Answer?
You are reading content posted in the Herpes Community
Herpes spreads by oral, vaginal and anal sex.
Herpes sores blister, then burst, scab and heal.
STIs are the most common cause of genital sores.
Millions of people are diagnosed with STDs in the U.S. each year.
STDs can't be transmitted by casual contact, like hugging or touching.
Syphilis is an STD that is transmitted by oral, genital and anal sex.
