Aa
CONFUSED HSV2,FUNGAL INFECTION
My symptoms started in may2013 ,after receiving unprotected oral in march 2013 from a girl who later told me she had both HSV1&2,there was no vaginal penetration but i touched her vagina with my fingers,April went to my PCP had full std panel came back negative,never tested for herpes,im positive for HSV1,i remember having a cold sore twice in my life,preceded by horrible COLD/FLU,Recently i have been having irritated meatus,stinging,burning sensation when it rubs on my briefs,i stopped wearing boxer shorts cause my penis movement rubs on clothing and is painful,i went back to my PCP in July looked at my penis didnt think it was HSV2 gave me triamcinolone cream 0.1% PRN,Irritation is worse on some days than others seems the more i obsess over it the more i get irritations,Feb 2014 went to see Urologist urine test negative,urologist examined my penis no lesion,digital rectal exam he said prostate feels normal,told me to see him in 3months if symptoms persist,could this be a weird HSV2,FUNGAL OR BACTERIAL SKIN infection..........PLEASE HELP.
MEDICAL PROFESSIONAL
Welcome to our Forum. I'll try to help. There are several issues in play as part of your question. One is whether or not this might be herpes and secondly if it is not HSV, what might be going on.
Herpes first. Your partner did a good thing in telling you she had HSV-1 and -2. This is a brave things to do and, as long as you don't over react (and I think you may have) allows you to take precautions to prevent infection. Further, the activities that you describe did not put you at risk for acquisition of herpes. HSV-1 and -2 is transmitted by direct contact and is not transmitted on ands or by mere touching. Further, the symptoms of irritation you describe are not suggestive of herpes.
As to the irritation that you describe, this is a more difficult question. As suggested on the community site, there may be a local fungal infection or other process. Such things may make you more vulnerable to irritation and minor trauma. In addition, when a person is looking for abnormalities, they tend to find them. Further, repeated self-examination itself can be irritating
Thus, to summarize, I see no reason related to the activities you described placed you at any risk for STI. As for your symptoms, they are not related to an STI. What they might be due to is harder to say. I hope this perspective is helpful. EWH
Herpes first. Your partner did a good thing in telling you she had HSV-1 and -2. This is a brave things to do and, as long as you don't over react (and I think you may have) allows you to take precautions to prevent infection. Further, the activities that you describe did not put you at risk for acquisition of herpes. HSV-1 and -2 is transmitted by direct contact and is not transmitted on ands or by mere touching. Further, the symptoms of irritation you describe are not suggestive of herpes.
As to the irritation that you describe, this is a more difficult question. As suggested on the community site, there may be a local fungal infection or other process. Such things may make you more vulnerable to irritation and minor trauma. In addition, when a person is looking for abnormalities, they tend to find them. Further, repeated self-examination itself can be irritating
Thus, to summarize, I see no reason related to the activities you described placed you at any risk for STI. As for your symptoms, they are not related to an STI. What they might be due to is harder to say. I hope this perspective is helpful. EWH
Thanks both doctors,i havent seen any blisters suggesting herpes, just the irritation,stinging and burning on occasion when my penis rubs on my boxers especially when i run on cardio machine at gym,my question to u is 1;)should i get a herpes test,and if it is positive for HSV2,Should i go ahead and take suppresive antivirals.
2;)In your experience do brief underwears with polyester material cause small traumas,irritation on head penis and meatus( im circumcised).
2;)In your experience do brief underwears with polyester material cause small traumas,irritation on head penis and meatus( im circumcised).
MEDICAL PROFESSIONAL
MedHelp's software is supposed to lock out a second answer once a moderator starts to reply. It didn't work this time and Dr. Hook and I were responding simultaneously. Most users shouldn't expect replies from both of us!
MEDICAL PROFESSIONAL
Welcome to the forum. Thanks for your question.
Responding first to the title: Too much is made in various educational resources, and especially on line, about potential confusion between yeast or other fungal infections and genital herpes. In fact, they are very rarely confused with one another, except in one special circumstance, which doesn't apply in your case. Someone (almost always female) with apparently new genital herpes has mild, localized symptoms that looks more like a reucrrent outbreak than a new infeciton. In thinking about when she might have been infected, she remembers one or more similar symptons in the past and thinks "I thought it was a yeast infection, so I didn't get examined". Had those earlier symptoms been professionally examined, or if the patient had taken a mirror and examined herself, it would have been obvious herpes, not yeast.
That situation is very different than having a diagnosed yeast or fungal infection and then worrying whether it might be herpes. It almost never is. The symptoms and exam findings of herpes and fungal/yeast infections generally are very different from one another and easily distinguished by experienced examiners.
Now to your specific issues. First, as you were told on the community forum, since you already have HSV-1, you can be confident you haven't acquired a second infection with that virus. Second, you describe an exposure that carried little risk of infection with either HSV-1 or HSV-2, even though your partner was infected with both. Fingering rarely if ever transmits HSV; without intercourse, you were not at risk. Third, your symptoms are not at all typical for genital herpes.
Your sympotms also aren't typical for a fungal infection, and your doctor agreed. Steroids like triamcinolone can make fungal infections a lot worse and all doctors know it. They are sometimes used for yeast or fungus if symptoms are severe, but only in combination with antifungal treatment. Same for hepres: steroids alone often make symptoms worse. If your penile rash/irritation improved on triamcinolone, that's further evidence against both yeast and herpes.
Based on your description -- especially that your penile symptoms are worse "the more I obsess over it" -- I suspect there's nothing wrong at all, only anxiety and worry over herpes (or perhaps over a regretted sexual decision) making you more sensitive to minor or normal body sensations.
In any case, you can definitely forget herpes. Whatever is going on, whether psychological or physical, clearly isn't serious and is nothing that will ever harm you or a current or future sex partner.
I hope this has been helpful. Best wishes-- HHH, MD
Responding first to the title: Too much is made in various educational resources, and especially on line, about potential confusion between yeast or other fungal infections and genital herpes. In fact, they are very rarely confused with one another, except in one special circumstance, which doesn't apply in your case. Someone (almost always female) with apparently new genital herpes has mild, localized symptoms that looks more like a reucrrent outbreak than a new infeciton. In thinking about when she might have been infected, she remembers one or more similar symptons in the past and thinks "I thought it was a yeast infection, so I didn't get examined". Had those earlier symptoms been professionally examined, or if the patient had taken a mirror and examined herself, it would have been obvious herpes, not yeast.
That situation is very different than having a diagnosed yeast or fungal infection and then worrying whether it might be herpes. It almost never is. The symptoms and exam findings of herpes and fungal/yeast infections generally are very different from one another and easily distinguished by experienced examiners.
Now to your specific issues. First, as you were told on the community forum, since you already have HSV-1, you can be confident you haven't acquired a second infection with that virus. Second, you describe an exposure that carried little risk of infection with either HSV-1 or HSV-2, even though your partner was infected with both. Fingering rarely if ever transmits HSV; without intercourse, you were not at risk. Third, your symptoms are not at all typical for genital herpes.
Your sympotms also aren't typical for a fungal infection, and your doctor agreed. Steroids like triamcinolone can make fungal infections a lot worse and all doctors know it. They are sometimes used for yeast or fungus if symptoms are severe, but only in combination with antifungal treatment. Same for hepres: steroids alone often make symptoms worse. If your penile rash/irritation improved on triamcinolone, that's further evidence against both yeast and herpes.
Based on your description -- especially that your penile symptoms are worse "the more I obsess over it" -- I suspect there's nothing wrong at all, only anxiety and worry over herpes (or perhaps over a regretted sexual decision) making you more sensitive to minor or normal body sensations.
In any case, you can definitely forget herpes. Whatever is going on, whether psychological or physical, clearly isn't serious and is nothing that will ever harm you or a current or future sex partner.
I hope this has been helpful. Best wishes-- HHH, MD
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.
