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Bump in Pubic Area
About a month ago I had protected oral and vaginal intercourse with an escort, the next day I noticed a small pimple or red bump an inch above my genitals in the pubic area. It healed quickly and I discounted it as nothing.
Flash forward to this week, on Monday I had a similar encounter with another escort -- around 3-4 hours later when getting into the shower I notice the bump was back and now it has gotten larger over the next three days. I am concerned.
It looks like a pimple or small pustule, with a hair growing out the middle. It could probably be folliculitis, and I was feeling relatively calm, have an appointment with the Nurse Practitioner at my PCPs office to check it out and ask for STD testing.
However, I am now more confused and worried having just read online that the chancre from syphillis presents itself as a pustule often with a hair in it before progressing to an open lesion. How long would it take to open, if this is syphilis should it have turned into a lesion by now ?
What is the likelihood that I need to be worried? What kinda of testing should I request? When should follow up testing occur?
Anything you can say to set my mind and ease and give guidance as to how to seek proper care would be appreciated.
I hope I have learned my lesson this time.
Flash forward to this week, on Monday I had a similar encounter with another escort -- around 3-4 hours later when getting into the shower I notice the bump was back and now it has gotten larger over the next three days. I am concerned.
It looks like a pimple or small pustule, with a hair growing out the middle. It could probably be folliculitis, and I was feeling relatively calm, have an appointment with the Nurse Practitioner at my PCPs office to check it out and ask for STD testing.
However, I am now more confused and worried having just read online that the chancre from syphillis presents itself as a pustule often with a hair in it before progressing to an open lesion. How long would it take to open, if this is syphilis should it have turned into a lesion by now ?
What is the likelihood that I need to be worried? What kinda of testing should I request? When should follow up testing occur?
Anything you can say to set my mind and ease and give guidance as to how to seek proper care would be appreciated.
I hope I have learned my lesson this time.
MEDICAL PROFESSIONAL
Irrelevant question since you don't have syphilis (for a whole bunch of reasons that we haven't discussed). Anyway, usually there is no pustule at all; chancres start as red bumps that ulcerate promptly, with no pustule.
That will be all for this thread. I won't have anything more to say.
That will be all for this thread. I won't have anything more to say.
MEDICAL PROFESSIONAL
Welcome back to the STD forum.
No STD causes the sort of problem you describe. A pimple-like lesion in the pubic area, wiht a hair emanating from it, cannot be a syphilitic chancre. I am skeptical you found a website that described a chancre that way; if you really found that, you either misunderstood what you read or you found a highly unreliable site.
If you remain concerned, you can always see a health care provider for direct examination and testing. Since you apparently seek the services of commercial sex workers from time to time, you should have regular STD testing once in a while anyway, like once a year -- and this would be a good time, since it's on your mind. But I expect nothing will turn up on exam or lab testing.
How to "seek proper care"? It's no big mystery. Either visit your PCP and say what you have said here; or your local health department STD clinic. Using your voice to speak words is the recommended method.
On that topic, did you follow up on my advice from a year and a half ago, about getting professional counseling about your unwarranted (at that time) STD fears? What came of it?
Regards-- HHH, MD
No STD causes the sort of problem you describe. A pimple-like lesion in the pubic area, wiht a hair emanating from it, cannot be a syphilitic chancre. I am skeptical you found a website that described a chancre that way; if you really found that, you either misunderstood what you read or you found a highly unreliable site.
If you remain concerned, you can always see a health care provider for direct examination and testing. Since you apparently seek the services of commercial sex workers from time to time, you should have regular STD testing once in a while anyway, like once a year -- and this would be a good time, since it's on your mind. But I expect nothing will turn up on exam or lab testing.
How to "seek proper care"? It's no big mystery. Either visit your PCP and say what you have said here; or your local health department STD clinic. Using your voice to speak words is the recommended method.
On that topic, did you follow up on my advice from a year and a half ago, about getting professional counseling about your unwarranted (at that time) STD fears? What came of it?
Regards-- HHH, MD
I apologize if I aggravated you. Honestly, I do agree I was behaving neurotically, so I understand your position.
I do appreciate the service you provide.
Most importantly, things went well at my PCPs office, we ran some tests but the NP was certain what I had was just a pimple / folliculitis. She also thought I knew too much about STD testing for my own good, lol
I plan to follow up with another round of tests in the next two or three months, just so I can have that definitive proof of negative tests at 90 days, and put this behind me.
If the anxiety gets bad again I will make an appointment with my psychologist.
thanks again and best wishes.
I do appreciate the service you provide.
Most importantly, things went well at my PCPs office, we ran some tests but the NP was certain what I had was just a pimple / folliculitis. She also thought I knew too much about STD testing for my own good, lol
I plan to follow up with another round of tests in the next two or three months, just so I can have that definitive proof of negative tests at 90 days, and put this behind me.
If the anxiety gets bad again I will make an appointment with my psychologist.
thanks again and best wishes.
what is the typical time line for a syphilitic pustule to open into chancre?
Yes, checking the site again i see it was from an old medical text, 1881 . . . feel silly about that.
Keeping my PCP visit, will show the thing to them and ask for STD testing, as we did not do that at my annual physical.
I went to counseling and made some progress, recently I have begun to backslide into this sort of behavior again and with it the old fears. It's really a shame. I intend to keep myself out of trouble after this -- of course I understand if you take that with a grain of salt.
Keeping my PCP visit, will show the thing to them and ask for STD testing, as we did not do that at my annual physical.
I went to counseling and made some progress, recently I have begun to backslide into this sort of behavior again and with it the old fears. It's really a shame. I intend to keep myself out of trouble after this -- of course I understand if you take that with a grain of salt.
You are reading content posted in the STDs 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.
