Herpes possibility?

[med3510]

I'm a gay male who in the past month or so has had unprotected oral sex (both giving and receiving) and protected anal sex (me being the top).  On Friday, I started to notice a chancre or some kind of sore on the top of my penis, right by the opening/urethra.  It hasn't really developed into anything bigger yet, and there is no puss coming from it, also it isn't like a blister either.  So not really sure what it is.  I'm worried it could be a sign of herpes, and so wondered what people's thoughts were?  Could it be herpes or perhaps syphilis?

I am thinking of going tomorrow to get it checked out, but any thoughts beforehand would be greatly received.  Thanks.

[gracefromHHP]

the person you talked to needs to update their herpes information as does the source of the information provided for their hotline.

I recommend they start by reading these journal articles :

http://jid.oxfordjournals.org/content/201/4/499.full

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20088691

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17012458

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/15450382

[med3510]

I just received this piece of information from someone who works with sexual health.  Can you comment on it?  Thanks.

the absolute only source of the virus is the area where the outbreak occurs. This is great news for people who's "danger zone" is covered by a condom. I have never heard nor seen nor read anything to contradict this, I do believe it is accepted as fact. This is congruent with the information given out on the hotline, so it is indeed the official story on this matter.
It does not make sense to me that shedding would occur anywhere else, here is what i'm thinking: the virus is dormant in a specific nerve cell body. the body of a nerve cell is in the spinal cord, and there are long "incoming" and "outgoing" strands... (axons and dendrites are the names of these parts of a nerve cell) which run from the cell body to the skin and muscles, and back. So when the virus is active, it travels along THE SAME strand every time, causing an outbreak is the SAME AREA every time. When asymptomatic viral shedding is occuring, the virus has taken its familiar path down its usual route to the skin, where it is replicating itself in hopes of finding a new home. I dont think the virus would travel one route when on a symptom-creating mission and then take a different route for a shedding mission. Does that make sense?
A persons body fluids do not contain the virus, the entire region is not contagious. So many people get outbreaks where a condom does not cover... but those who do, this should be good news for you!

[gracefromHHP]

the virus sheds from obvious lesions when you have them as well as from the anogenital area. your hip area for instance doesn't shed the virus without an obvious lesion there but your anal area and penis does.

[med3510]

Thanks Grace - the current outbreak (if it is an outbreak), are so tiny, you can hardly see them, so don't think the doctor would be able to culture it.  Plus it's probably too late now anyway.

The Free herpes handbook on westover has some info, but I'm still unsure as to whether you can shed from thick skin around the pelvic area and where on the other person it will be transmitted.

[gracefromHHP]

if you have more symptoms, go and be seen. they can do a lesion culture inside your urethra for herpes even.

the free herpes handbook covers the details of transmission for more reading.

[med3510]

Well they are painful quite a lot of the time.

When I feel tingling around the belly button area and just below it, does that mean the virus is active on the skin at that time, i.e shedding?

If the outbreaks are limited to the head of the penis (assuming that the current one is an outbreak), what are the chances of shedding from other parts of the genitals?  I'm still confused if you can shed virus from thick skin to someone else.  Sorry to ask all these questions.  I just want to be able to have a wonderful sex life with someone and not worry all the time about risk of transmission.

Also, in terms of soft tissue (which I've read is the areas that normally it can be transmitted to), where are they on a man - is it penis, scrotum and anus, or more places, or less?