A Few Questions

9 weeks ago - Received unprotected oral sex from a friend (not a prostitute/sex worker). A week prior to that - shaved my "abdominal hair

[H. Hunter Handsfield, M.D.]

Please read other threads in this and the HIV prevention forum about the low risk of oral sex for all STDs, including HIV; use the search link to look for 'STD transmission risk', 'HIV transmission risk', 'oral sex', 'fellatio', and 'cunnilingus'.  Also search 'STD symptoms'.  To your specific questions:

1) Doesn't sound like NGU or any other STD; and yes, the symptoms are consistent with anxiety as the primary cause.  (And as I have said many times, when a person suspects his or her own symptoms may be psychosomatic, usually s/he is right.)

2) Since the cause is likely emotional, your mental state probably will be the main determinant of when your symptoms resolve.  Soon, I hope.

3) In general, lesbian and bisexual women are at low risk for HIV.  A standard HIV antibody test will be fine; or have a duo test, P24 antigen plus antibody.  It's the routine test in many labs.

5) Frequent urination is not an NGU symptom.

6) You don't need penicillin.  People almost always are better off seeing a doc profesionally and formally than relying on their medical friends for health care.  And most docs definitely prefer not to provide such favors to their friends, especially for senstive areas like drugs, sex, mental health, and so on.

7) You really didn't need any testing at all.  And the drugs you took screwed any possibility of reliable tests for most infections anyway.

Good luck--  HHH, MD

[H. Hunter Handsfield, M.D.]

I hit return too fast, and re-entered my reply to bigboy (the thread before this one) to this question.  I'll get to this one a little later.

HHH, MD

[H. Hunter Handsfield, M.D.]

Sorry again for the mistaken response.  However, there are some parallels with your story.

The rash on your lower abdomen almost certainly has nothing whatever to do with your oral sex adventure 2 weeks earlier.  From all you describe, I see no reason to doubt your personal physician's diagnosis of folliculitis; you don't have an STD.  Most of your more recent symptoms--testicular discomfort, etc--suggest only anxiety, nothing more.  I don't accept that you actually had lymphadenopathy (lymph node inflammation) unless it was diagnosed by your doc.  Self-diagnosis of that problem is very unreliable.

My suggestion is to continue to consult with your doc if your symptoms continue or you otherwise remain concerned.  But I see no reason for worry.

Good luck--- HHH, MD