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Working abroad in China - Concerned
Hello. I will start by explaining the situation I'm concerned about. I'm currently working in the Zhejiang province of China. I am an uncircumcised male. About 3 1/2 weeks ago, I stupidly went into one of the local brothels after a night at the bar, and ended up having sex with one of the workers there. I believe I was inside of this woman for about 5 minutes or so with no protection, when I pulled out and realized the condom was broken. She seemed pretty dry and tight.
I had her try to finish up by hand. I think at some point, this woman used some sort of lubricant on me, but I can't remember if this was before the intercourse or after. Anyway, I was home maybe 45 minutes later, and washed myself as best I could. My penis was quite swollen already at this point. The next day, my glans started to seem really dry and cracked. It eventually started peeling a day or two later. A few days later, I noticed like a tiny, little quasi-scab kind of thing right over the ligament or whatever that runs down the underside of the foreskin. I picked it off, and it didn't really bleed.
I haven't had a whole lot of ARS symptoms, although I've had a bit of a cough and some nodes in my armpits might be a bit swollen. No fever (to my knowledge) or persistent rash. I've had no real symptoms in the genital region, although my left testicle was hurting a bit intermittently for a few days shortly after this event. I went to the local Chinese hospital and had a blood test and urine test done at 23 days. Blood test came back negative for hiv and syphilis. I'm not 100% sure what the urine sample was tested for, but it came back that the "bacteria level" was 37, so the report says I have a UTI. Could it be that an STD is just being written off as a UTI on this report? I have no UTI symptoms. Also, how certain can I be of my HIV and Syphilis test at 23 days? I know this is fairly early. I'm really afraid of the HIV in particular. Thank you.
I had her try to finish up by hand. I think at some point, this woman used some sort of lubricant on me, but I can't remember if this was before the intercourse or after. Anyway, I was home maybe 45 minutes later, and washed myself as best I could. My penis was quite swollen already at this point. The next day, my glans started to seem really dry and cracked. It eventually started peeling a day or two later. A few days later, I noticed like a tiny, little quasi-scab kind of thing right over the ligament or whatever that runs down the underside of the foreskin. I picked it off, and it didn't really bleed.
I haven't had a whole lot of ARS symptoms, although I've had a bit of a cough and some nodes in my armpits might be a bit swollen. No fever (to my knowledge) or persistent rash. I've had no real symptoms in the genital region, although my left testicle was hurting a bit intermittently for a few days shortly after this event. I went to the local Chinese hospital and had a blood test and urine test done at 23 days. Blood test came back negative for hiv and syphilis. I'm not 100% sure what the urine sample was tested for, but it came back that the "bacteria level" was 37, so the report says I have a UTI. Could it be that an STD is just being written off as a UTI on this report? I have no UTI symptoms. Also, how certain can I be of my HIV and Syphilis test at 23 days? I know this is fairly early. I'm really afraid of the HIV in particular. Thank you.
MEDICAL PROFESSIONAL
Current guidelines would recommend a single dose of 1g Azithromycin, together with an intramuscular injection of Ceftriaxone 500mg. That would normally treat Chlamydia, Gonorrhoea and most bacteria responsible for urethritis.
Best wishes,
Dr José
Best wishes,
Dr José
Ok, again sorry to add more to this, but I think this should be the last thing I add. Let me just say, I don't have a lot of faith in the Chinese medical system out here. A friend of mine is coming here from the states in about a week, and I'm wondering if it would be a good idea for me to just have her bring my the single dose treatment for gonnorhea and chlamydia, and just take them both. Then, when I go back to the hospital for my conclusive blood test in a month or so, I can see if the alleged "UTI" is resolved.
Sorry, I was also confused by this sentence. "It does not sound that the microorganism responsible has not been identified". You mean that you think the doctors should be aware at this point specifically what STD I have?
Obviously I'm in China, and I don't speak great Mandarin Chinese so it's just been a pain communicating with the doctors. They just gave me this report and gave no further recommendation as far as treatment..
Thank you for your response Dr. Do you have any advice as far as how to proceed now to get this STI treated? Is it really imperative that I nail down exactly what I've contracted? Or is there a general strong course of antibiotics I can take that would knock out multiple STDs?
MEDICAL PROFESSIONAL
Hello,
Thank you very much for your post and welcome to our forum.
As an unprotected sexual encounter, you have put yourslef at risk of STIs including HIV, even though the risk of you having contracted HIV is relatively low. From the point of view of the tests carried out; one cannot consider a negative HIV and a negative syphilis test conclusive at 23 days. One would need to wait at least 28 days, in the case of the HIV test being the Duo of 4th generation (testing for antibodies and p24 antigen), and the syphilis serology. However they are obviously highly reassuring.
I cannot comment on the results from the urine. There is obviosuly an infection and you would need treating with the appropriate antibiotics. However it doe not sound that the microorganism responsible has not been identified. UTIs in men are most frequently related to STIs, and bearing in mind yur history, this is most likely to be the case.
Best wishes,
Dr José
Thank you very much for your post and welcome to our forum.
As an unprotected sexual encounter, you have put yourslef at risk of STIs including HIV, even though the risk of you having contracted HIV is relatively low. From the point of view of the tests carried out; one cannot consider a negative HIV and a negative syphilis test conclusive at 23 days. One would need to wait at least 28 days, in the case of the HIV test being the Duo of 4th generation (testing for antibodies and p24 antigen), and the syphilis serology. However they are obviously highly reassuring.
I cannot comment on the results from the urine. There is obviosuly an infection and you would need treating with the appropriate antibiotics. However it doe not sound that the microorganism responsible has not been identified. UTIs in men are most frequently related to STIs, and bearing in mind yur history, this is most likely to be the case.
Best wishes,
Dr José
You are reading content posted in the STDs - International Forum
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.
