This sounds like Herpes?

[realidad25]

Hi there,

This is my first post, so hi to everyone and many thanks in advance for your help.

I am a male 34 years old and had sex with a female sex worker a couple of weeks ago. Oral sex was unprotected but vaginal was protected. Five days later I got a very red and burning scrotum. And 4-5 days after that some small bumps (5 or 6) not far from my anus and a couple of them had some liquid inside (not sure whether it was puss since I scratched them and noticed the liquid then). Now is one week since I first noticed the red scrotum and is still red but not as much as at the beginning. In the morning usually is less red and then during the day becomes more red. I tried fungus cream and another cream given by the urologist called Pevisone (for ezcema) but they don't seem to work. It's not painful at all, and just sometimes the scrotum burns a bit and is a little bit itchy, but not that much. Haven't tested yet for Herpes (however tested for HIV and syphilis and both are negative) because it costs a fortune in the country where I am living and don't have medical insurance.

This sounds to you like herpes?
Any opinion will be greatly appreciated. Thank you very much again.
John

[gracefromHHP]

you won't get std's from bed sheets. you could in theory contract some skin infections but even the risk of that is fairly low.  get a 2nd opinion this week or return for further evaluation from the provider you saw last.  

I have absolutely no idea what all is included in a the 2 testing panels you listed. you'd have to ask the clinic that offers them what all is specifically tested for with them. Every clinic is different and what one clinic lumps under one panel might not be the same at another.

[Mistakeguy789]

I don't know what those include so I can't say.  You can ask your doctor if they will perform a swab culture for herpes.  But the best time to do that is when you have the sores present and they have been present for less than 48hrs.  Anything longer can lead to a higher false negative.  

[realidad25]

Thank you very much for yr answer, mistakeguy.

My bedding is clean but not so sure about the bedding where I had sex (it wasn't in my house). So the lesion cultures is not the same as the  "genital ulceration profile" and "uretral discharge profile" test? Is needed a special lab for the lesion culture or can you do it in any clinic?

Thanks again

[Mistakeguy789]

Lesion cultures are where they take a swab and swab any of your blisters/sores.  That why they can test for herpes.  

This could be anything.  Fungual infections are hard to beat and may take a while to treat.  I wouldn't hurt to wash your bedding to make sure it is clean.  

[realidad25]

Thanks again Grace. Well, like I said, the test the urologist recommended to me is too expensive (500$) and I don't have that money right now, otherwise I would do them straight away. Btw, those test are called "genital ulceration profile" and "uretral discharge profile": I don't know if the "lesion culture" you are talking about is the same... could you let me know?

The antifungals are not working at all. Also the spots I got in my buttocks are a bit itchy and a bit painful, but not much. And I noticed my scrotum is almost normal when I lay down and becomes redder when I stand or sit.
And the redness is only in my scrotum and anus but not in my penis. I suspect is an infection coming from the bedsheets from the bed where I had sex, since those were the parts in touch with that bed. Also, I used a few days ago a lotion against scabies just in case, but haven't seen any positive effect. Any idea?

[gracefromHHP]

this could be any number of things but if you were seen twice and both thought it was a fungal infection, there's a good chance that it is.

you need to use antifungals 2x/day for a full week after the rash has cleared. sometimes it takes a few weeks for fungal infections to go away fully.

if you have active symptoms, a lesion culture can be done. no reason to wait for blood testing.

[realidad25]

Hi grace, thanks for your comment.

I haven't had a full STD test yet (only HIV and syphilis). Like I said, it's too expensive in the country where I am living and can't afford it right now. And anyway, as far as I know, I have to wait 3 months to have an herpes test and be 100% sure, so no reason to do a test now and another one in a couple of months, given the high cost of both. But I've seen two urologist and they have been pretty useless: they didn't listen to me and didn't even ask me about my sexual life which I found amazing (in another countries urologists ask you many questions about yr sexual life before even looking at yr symptoms) and just gave me fungal creams despite I told them I tried a fungal cream before with no positive results. That's why I was asking in this forum if those symptoms sound like herpes...
Btw, just noticed today that got some more red pimples near my anus and they are itchy.

So, do you think it sound like herpes?

[gracefromHHP]

so you were seen and had a proper exam done on your symptoms?

grace