Will I ever know if this is herpes?

[JustWorried1]

I'm hoping somebody can help me out.


I had what seemed like every symptom about 8 days after an unprotected one night stand with a female back in march of '06. I am a male. I had a tingling sensation in the tip of my penis, raw feeling on penis, sore testicles, sore perineum, fluid leaking from penis, crusting of urethra, burning feeling in genital area, etc. I also forgot to mention that at the same time I had flu symptoms and tingling/raw rub burn feeling in my lower back and burning in my whole genital area. Also, my legs were very sore throughout which I attributed to my lymph nodes working. It wasn't chlamydia or gonorrhea. These symptoms came back about 3 months later. I got really worried because i had a bump at the bottom of my penis shaft that i was able to pop. It seemed like an ingrown hair or something because a hair was under it. The thing that worried me was that it was painless and it formed a crater in my skin when i popped it. It healed in a few days. So...I decided to go to a doctor to get tested for herpes. It came back positive for HSV1 (I always get cold sores on my lip) and negative (less than .90) for HSV2. I was told I had prostatitis and took antibiotics for about 4 months which seemed to really help. Anyway, to make a long and i mean long story short...I tested negative for HSV2 almost out to about 1 year with 4 different tests starting at about 5 months post exposure. There were all herpes select. Two days ago, my penis felt raw and a little itchy...but no more itchy than normal from perspiration and what not. Last night, while masturbating I noticed a tiny little scab on the top of my shaft. It seemed like one of my pores was scabbed or something. It was very very tiny but I could feel it. I've masturbated a lot this week but I've used lube or shampoo every time. I'm wondering if friction caused this or if it could be herpes. I have not had any of the same symptoms I had before in some time now. I do have tingling in my hands and feet every now and then. Does anything of what I describe sound like herpes to anyone? I really want to be confident that I don't have herpes so that me and my girlfriend can continue to have unprotected sex without worrying about giving her HSV2 if I indeed have it. I'm thinking about getting another blood test but don't know if it's worth it or not. The scab is so tiny that I really can't even see it anymore. My penis just feels a little raw...kind of like a rug burn. I'm hoping someone could shed some light on what this might be and if they think it could actually be herpes. Can i finally put herpes out of my mind or do you think i should get tested again just to make sure? I definitely don't want to pass something to my girlfriend that I don't know if I actually have it or not.

Thanks a lot.

[Leigh24]

I would see a doctor again.  You went to see a doctor over a year and a half ago and have you had any other partners between the one night stand and your current girlfriend?  I'm not a doctor or anything but was recently diagnosed so don't freak out, stress only makes things worse.  Just go see the doctor to get some answers and just in case, don't have sex with your girlfriend until you get the results.  Results should only take a few days so that shouldn't be a huge issue if you don't want to talk to your girlfriend about it.  But if you tested negative and haven't been with anyone since the one night stand, she may need to be tested if you do have it.  But I wouldn't even go there right now and just see the doctor and go from there.  Keep us posted and everything will be fine.  I found out 3 weeks ago that I have herpes and honestly, I'm okay now.  But I don't think you have it so hang in there.

[slacker101]

tignling in the hands and feet are not symptoms of herpes. You already had a bombardment of HSV 2 Tests and have been told you are negative for it so move on! The biggest problem I have head you say was using Shampoo for a masturbation lubricant. Don't. Shampoos have a lot of weird chemicals in it meant for your hair. Your Dr. told you you were negative so move on but you really should use protection with your gf regardless.

[Orillion]

im clueless in regard to the situation, but it seriously sounds like you're doing this to yourself through masturbation.

[JustWorried1]

My last negative was about 10 months after my unprotected one night stand and 6 months after i received oral sex from another woman. Again pos for hsv1 and neg for hsv2. Am I good to go? How reliable are the herpes select tests? Would I be wasting money/time if i got another test? I've heard good and bad things about these tests. I really just want to make sure I don't have anything that I can give to my girlfriend. I wasn't with anybody else up until my girlfriend so there is no way i could have gotten anything from anyone else. What do you think?

[girlygirl87]

you've definitely already wasted enough money on tests--you do NOT have hsv2. at all. after that much time from exposure, they're very very accurate!

[JustWorried1]

So, now I have about 7-10 tiny little bumps at the very top of my pubic area in the hair. They burn. They are in the same area but spread out a little. What could this possibly be? Folliculitis? I can't see a doc until after Christmas and they'll probably be gone by then. Does anyone know if I should I put anything on them? Cream? Spray? I really hope this isn't herpes!

[pilot27]

HSV-1 can be present on your face or genitals -- It is not specific to location -- 30% of GENITAL Herpes cases are in fact HSV-1 -- HSV-1 symptoms tend to be somewhat milder than HSV-2 --

Your initial outbreak sounds like it could be herpes - specifically the burning sensation you described as well as the flu-like symptoms -- High temperature I'm assuming?  I have a friend whose initial outbreak sounds very similar to yours -- but he eventually got the painful sores and blisters which you haven't got --  

You might have HSV-1 on your genitals which would explain why you keep testing positvie for HSV-1 and neg for 2 --That would be my guess - that is assuming you've been tested for "everything" else --

Hard to say --  There are so many different STD's out there and so many variations you really just need to get to the doctor asap -take a picture of the bumps and show your doctor if you're worried about them disappearing -- and don't sleep with your girlfriend until you get a clean bill of health!!!

5 years ago I gave my girlfriend (ex) HSV-1 on her vagaina through oral sex -- I had a small cold-sore that was almost healed completely - it was so faint she didn't notice it and I barely noticed it -I ended up going down on her and 3 days later she had genital HSV-
Point is -be careful!!

-it's a pretty disgusting feeling to give someone you care about an STD!!    

Good Luck -

[JustWorried1]

Hey Pilot,

Thanks for replying. I don't think this is hsv1 on my genitals. I've had it orally my entire life and have been told by docs here that you can't get it on your genitals or that it's VERY RARE to get it somewhere else because you've established immunity to it from already having antibodies. So, with testing pos for hsv1 and neg for hsv2 what the heck can this be? I'm wondering if I should get a blood test again. This truly seems like follicutitis to me because it's already going down after i put some hydrocortisone cream on them. I thought my initial symptoms were for sure hsv2 but i never had the sores...that and i kept testing negative up to about 10 months after my exposure. I went to a urologist and he diagnosed me with bacterial prostatitus - he said i was a pretty typical case.I don't know what the heck to think anymore...what do you think?

[waringblender]

Justworried, you need psychological help for this. Stop spinning and get over yourself already.  You don't have HSV. Jesus, do you want it, for pete's sake?!  Just move on already. This is truly pathetic.  Go worry about something important, like the fact that "President" Bush wants to bomb Iran. Go volunteer in a homeless shelter - they need a lot of help around the holidays. Deliver Meals on Wheels to folks who can't even walk, let alone worry about whether they have herpes or not. Visit a VA hospital, where our injured troops aren't getting the care they need because Bush cut back on VA benefits. I'll bet any of our troops who has lost a limb would be happy to trade places with you and your HSV "worries." You need some perspective, and you need it badly.

Pilot, don't beat yourself up about passing HSV to your partner. It happens. HSV-1 is so common in the population that it should be less of a concern than passing type 2. All of us with herpes are doing the best we can with our partners. That's all you can ask for. Best wishes to you during the holiday.

[sammy872]

I had a pimple on my  inner thigh which  had white pus in it when i poped it it wasnt really painful  just like a pimple would be when you pop it i dont have burning when i peel and never had anything on my vagina  i then got another  one  on the same inner thigh  did the same thing. But i have a rash on my butt and the back of my thigh's and inner thigh's down close to my knee and my whole body has been itchy for like a month now  so i dont know if this is 2 different thing's i went to the doc for one they  put me on loratadine  and then that didnt work and they put me on zyrtec  and that hasnt helped the itching either  so they put me on steroid's which eh is helping a little  because they think it's stress hives i dunno   the only burning i get is  after i scratch even though i try not to  and sometime's it's irritated like  well sometime's i itch more  when im sitting down and what not  i dont wear underwear so at first i though maybe it's   was something to do with that i dont have no clue .. freaking out though...  does it sound like herpes ?