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STD or paranoia?
I've slept with plenty of girls in my life (20+) and the majority of them were unprotected encounters. None of them have told me of anything regarding any sexual diseases and I never noticed anything visible on these women during the sexual encounters. Unfortunately, it has been years since I've had any testing done on me, although I have been tested in the past. I went to the clinic once because of a scare involving what apparently was Molloscum Contagiosum. This condition affected my inner thighs and pubic region, but the doctor assured me it was more of a coincidence than anything. Those symptoms have since disappeared.
Fast forward to today where I found a red bump on the head of my penis. It didn't not hurt, sting, or itch. In fact I only noticed it because I happened to look before I urinated. It looks like a cold sore or pimple, but there is no sign of oozing or discharge. Of course, as with any person in this situation, my mind immediately jumps to the worst conclusion: HSV.
The biggest reason I am concerned is because of my most recent ex-girlfriend. We dated for about 3 months and had regular unprotected sex mostly because she was on the pill and her and I, as far as I know, are free of STDs. We broke up due to potential infidelity on her part and I'm rather convinced that she has a long and dark sexual history, although I am unable to confirm this due to us having zero contact right now. We first had sex sometime in early December last had sex on Jan 28th and it is now about 6 weeks later. I have not had any sexual contact with females since.
According to a quick Google search and perusing through this website it would appear that symptoms of HSV appear withing 1-3 weeks of contracting the virus. Other sites say that there have been cases of symptoms not appearing for 40 years; quite the disparity, although the 1-3 week time frame was suggested as being most likely. I've also learned that testing might produce a false negative if done before a 12-week time-frame.
I've noticed a few things that seemed to match up to the symptoms listed online:
-Red bumps or sores - I only have one of them, but it's enough for me to be concerned
-Tingling sensation - This has happened a couple of times over the past month or so. When it happened it was not seriously overwhelming and I just assumed it was some random sensation. If I recall correctly, I felt it in the urethra, mostly near the tip of my penis. I do not recall experiencing this tingling sensation anywhere else on my body.
-Back pain - I recall having slight lower back pain over the past few weeks, albeit mild and not frequent. I initially attributed this to playing drums too frequently, but I'm not so sure now.
-Painful urination - Again, this might be something I am over-thinking, but I've had a slight "burning" sensation when urinating. It's not painful in the sense that it makes me flinch, but it is a sensation that I can't exactly ignore.
Some other information that may be pertinent:
-I had about 3 or 4 sexual encounters with a girl who slept with a friend of mine who had an HSV scare at one point. I don't know if this was ever confirmed by our social circle, but this individual was suspected of having genital herpes as well as his girlfriend at the time. The girl I slept with was NOT his girlfriend. This girl slept with my friend after his scare and I slept with her after everything else. She never said anything about having it nor did anyone else, but she is definitely naive and young. The last sexual encounter I had with her was in September. Seems unlikely, but I don't want to rule it out.
-There was a point during my relationship in January with this most recent ex where I felt rather sick and fatigued for the course of a week or two. I had quit smoking on Jan 1st so I attributed these symptoms to withdrawal and readjusting to a non-smoking lifestyle. Since then I have started smoking again (due to the breakup) and these symptoms didn't continue. This did NOT coincide with any of my current symptoms.
- I feel as though my entire genital region has been itching somewhat lately. Normally this happens when the pubic hair grows back after I shave and is localized to the area under the penis which comes in to contact with the scrotum. This itching always happens a few days after shaving, but it has been probably two or three weeks since I've shaved and it still itches periodically. When I say itching, I don't mean it feels like the type of itching you would experience when you have poison ivy. More like a random itch on your head.
-I do not seem to have of the other symptoms listed such as fatigue, headache, penis discharge, infection of the urethra, or burning sensation in the genitals.
On the other hand, these same websites suggest that in a lot of cases no symptoms will show up after contracting the virus, which doesn't make me feel any more confident about the situation. Here are my questions:
-Does it seem likely that I've contracted some sort of STD?
-Is it possible this is some sort of pimple or other skin condition? I've had blemishes and in-grown hairs show up in my pubic region, but nothing has ever been on the head of my penis.
-Given the time frame and series of events, should I go to the doctor on Wednesday for a full screening? I'm asking this because of the apparent 12-week time window that I've read about regarding HSV.
-If/when I do see a doctor, do I need to specific about the type of testing they do? I read on this site about doctors who order the wrong testing for a particular strain of HSV and end up with a false negative. I would hate to have a false sense of security and contract this potential disease to someone else.
-Are there any suggestions as to how I can confirm whether or not my ex is positive for HSV considering we have a no-contact rule in place? I know this is much less related to physical health and more towards relationships, but I'm not sure how I would handle that.
-I do not know if I have the oral herpes virus. I never experience oral cold sores. I'm not sure if this is related.
Thanks in advance for reading and any replies. It would certainly help ease my mind right now.
Fast forward to today where I found a red bump on the head of my penis. It didn't not hurt, sting, or itch. In fact I only noticed it because I happened to look before I urinated. It looks like a cold sore or pimple, but there is no sign of oozing or discharge. Of course, as with any person in this situation, my mind immediately jumps to the worst conclusion: HSV.
The biggest reason I am concerned is because of my most recent ex-girlfriend. We dated for about 3 months and had regular unprotected sex mostly because she was on the pill and her and I, as far as I know, are free of STDs. We broke up due to potential infidelity on her part and I'm rather convinced that she has a long and dark sexual history, although I am unable to confirm this due to us having zero contact right now. We first had sex sometime in early December last had sex on Jan 28th and it is now about 6 weeks later. I have not had any sexual contact with females since.
According to a quick Google search and perusing through this website it would appear that symptoms of HSV appear withing 1-3 weeks of contracting the virus. Other sites say that there have been cases of symptoms not appearing for 40 years; quite the disparity, although the 1-3 week time frame was suggested as being most likely. I've also learned that testing might produce a false negative if done before a 12-week time-frame.
I've noticed a few things that seemed to match up to the symptoms listed online:
-Red bumps or sores - I only have one of them, but it's enough for me to be concerned
-Tingling sensation - This has happened a couple of times over the past month or so. When it happened it was not seriously overwhelming and I just assumed it was some random sensation. If I recall correctly, I felt it in the urethra, mostly near the tip of my penis. I do not recall experiencing this tingling sensation anywhere else on my body.
-Back pain - I recall having slight lower back pain over the past few weeks, albeit mild and not frequent. I initially attributed this to playing drums too frequently, but I'm not so sure now.
-Painful urination - Again, this might be something I am over-thinking, but I've had a slight "burning" sensation when urinating. It's not painful in the sense that it makes me flinch, but it is a sensation that I can't exactly ignore.
Some other information that may be pertinent:
-I had about 3 or 4 sexual encounters with a girl who slept with a friend of mine who had an HSV scare at one point. I don't know if this was ever confirmed by our social circle, but this individual was suspected of having genital herpes as well as his girlfriend at the time. The girl I slept with was NOT his girlfriend. This girl slept with my friend after his scare and I slept with her after everything else. She never said anything about having it nor did anyone else, but she is definitely naive and young. The last sexual encounter I had with her was in September. Seems unlikely, but I don't want to rule it out.
-There was a point during my relationship in January with this most recent ex where I felt rather sick and fatigued for the course of a week or two. I had quit smoking on Jan 1st so I attributed these symptoms to withdrawal and readjusting to a non-smoking lifestyle. Since then I have started smoking again (due to the breakup) and these symptoms didn't continue. This did NOT coincide with any of my current symptoms.
- I feel as though my entire genital region has been itching somewhat lately. Normally this happens when the pubic hair grows back after I shave and is localized to the area under the penis which comes in to contact with the scrotum. This itching always happens a few days after shaving, but it has been probably two or three weeks since I've shaved and it still itches periodically. When I say itching, I don't mean it feels like the type of itching you would experience when you have poison ivy. More like a random itch on your head.
-I do not seem to have of the other symptoms listed such as fatigue, headache, penis discharge, infection of the urethra, or burning sensation in the genitals.
On the other hand, these same websites suggest that in a lot of cases no symptoms will show up after contracting the virus, which doesn't make me feel any more confident about the situation. Here are my questions:
-Does it seem likely that I've contracted some sort of STD?
-Is it possible this is some sort of pimple or other skin condition? I've had blemishes and in-grown hairs show up in my pubic region, but nothing has ever been on the head of my penis.
-Given the time frame and series of events, should I go to the doctor on Wednesday for a full screening? I'm asking this because of the apparent 12-week time window that I've read about regarding HSV.
-If/when I do see a doctor, do I need to specific about the type of testing they do? I read on this site about doctors who order the wrong testing for a particular strain of HSV and end up with a false negative. I would hate to have a false sense of security and contract this potential disease to someone else.
-Are there any suggestions as to how I can confirm whether or not my ex is positive for HSV considering we have a no-contact rule in place? I know this is much less related to physical health and more towards relationships, but I'm not sure how I would handle that.
-I do not know if I have the oral herpes virus. I never experience oral cold sores. I'm not sure if this is related.
Thanks in advance for reading and any replies. It would certainly help ease my mind right now.
Thanks for your response.
I already pulled the trigger and got blood work done. I'm also going on Thursday to my university's health services and having other tests done (Chlamydia, Gonnorhea, Syphilis, and HIV) which are covered under insurance. Unfortunately I had to pay for the Herpes 1 and 2 tests. They said they also did a third screening for possible exposure in the past 90 days. I feel like they said IgM, but maybe it was IgG. I can't remember. Results should be available by Friday at the latest.
The single sore itself seems to have already gotten better since I first saw it yesterday, but I can't be sure that means anything.
Considering you said blood work isn't the option, what should I do with a negative result? Consider me to be safe and keep an eye on the symptoms?
I'm really trying hard not to panic here.
I already pulled the trigger and got blood work done. I'm also going on Thursday to my university's health services and having other tests done (Chlamydia, Gonnorhea, Syphilis, and HIV) which are covered under insurance. Unfortunately I had to pay for the Herpes 1 and 2 tests. They said they also did a third screening for possible exposure in the past 90 days. I feel like they said IgM, but maybe it was IgG. I can't remember. Results should be available by Friday at the latest.
The single sore itself seems to have already gotten better since I first saw it yesterday, but I can't be sure that means anything.
Considering you said blood work isn't the option, what should I do with a negative result? Consider me to be safe and keep an eye on the symptoms?
I'm really trying hard not to panic here.
you definately need to be seen by a doctor to get answers. if they suspect herpes, they should swab it and type it. the blood test is not the ideal way to get a diagnosis when you're having symptoms - the swab is the best option.
zits might happen in the genital area, but usually where there is hair. the tip of the penis usually has no hair.
as I said above, the blood test is not the ideal testing right now. but there's no reason not to get tested. you'll need a type specific blood test for herpes 1 and 2, IgG only. Not IgM.
there's no way to know if someone has herpes unless getting symptoms and getting the right testing. so you'll most likely never learn about your ex status. just focus on your symptoms right now and be seen by a doctor as soon as possible.
zits might happen in the genital area, but usually where there is hair. the tip of the penis usually has no hair.
as I said above, the blood test is not the ideal testing right now. but there's no reason not to get tested. you'll need a type specific blood test for herpes 1 and 2, IgG only. Not IgM.
there's no way to know if someone has herpes unless getting symptoms and getting the right testing. so you'll most likely never learn about your ex status. just focus on your symptoms right now and be seen by a doctor as soon as possible.
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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.
