Chlamydia Causes Burning Red Scrotum Pain?

[mikeglobal]

question for you Dr.

10 days after protected sex with a prostitute I started to get a mild discomfort in the left testicle / scrotum then my scrotum turned red gradually and it hasn't gone away - no other genital symptoms (discharge) but I do get dizzy spells once in a while.

Redness & pain comes and goes (but is always there a little) and has been bothering me for 2 months now. Some days it is much worse than others and is SUPER red.

Going to a derm this week but pretty sure he will send me for STD panel.

During the incident the condom didn't 'break' but have been reading chlamydia transmission happens 2% of the time even with a condom...I guess I'm that 2%.  The SW did act strange at the end of the event as she removed the condom.

VERY concerned this is chlamydia or another STI? any opinion is greatly appreciated

[Edward W Hook, MD]

Welcome to our Forum.   Your dermatologist may decide to send you for STD testing but if you are found to have chlamydia, it will not be from the exposure you describe and will not explain the redness of your scrotum.  The estimate that, IF EXPOSED, condoms still permit transmission of chlamydia 2% of the time is far, far too high and sounds like the all too common internet mis-information we hear about regularly.  Please remember that there is a less than 10% chance that your partner had chlamydia and when used properly condoms are considerably more than 99% effective, as long as they do not break (and yours did not- when condoms break, they break wide open leaving no doubt that they have broken).  Furthermore, scrotal erythema is not a sign of chlamydial infection.

There are other possible explanations of your scrotal redness, the most likely cause being either a superficial fungal infection.  The scrotum is a highly vascular part of the body and sometimes increased blood flow can make fungal infections appear quite red.  An alternate explanation for the redness could be some other sort of dermatological problem totally unrelated to the exposure you have mentioned.  

I think seeing a dermatologist is a fine idea. In the meantime, since this has gone on for two months, you can be confident it is not an emergency.   I suggest that you try not to scratch or repeatedly examine yourself (this can be irritating) and that you not apply any lotions, creams or medications which could just worsen or confuse things.

Please let us know what the dermatologist says.  EWH

[mikeglobal]

test was negative for chlamydia

[Edward W Hook, MD]

I don't think you need to open a new thread.  I would suggest that you ask your dermatologist, or some other doctor, to actually examine you.  If you want to test for STDs, you should do so but I would be most suprised if your symptoms were due to an STD.  

Let us know what happens please, otherwise that will be the en of this thread.  EWH

[mikeglobal]

sorry Doc, didn't mean to bombard you with comments...maybe I'll open a new thread with these concerns.

[mikeglobal]

plus i have just a general ill feeling and i get dizzy spells sometimes and some slight ear pain off and on which may be associated with an infection my body is trying to fight

[mikeglobal]

unfortunately the steroid cream has not helped my situation at all...if anything its getting worse because now I'm certain my lymph nodes down the inside of my thighs are painful and swollen slightly, my groin is very uncomfortable as well - no big bumps or anything but this seems to be the pain assoicated with epidymititis caused by chlamydia.

still have not got std tested...going monday, but i'm certain i'm infected

[Edward W Hook, MD]

You didn't mentiopn your psoriasis to me.  This is a very reasonable explanation and psoriasis is not uncommon in the genital tract.  While I wish he'd at least looked, I suspect he is right.  Please use the sterio cream.

You can certainly test for STDs if you wish but I anticipate the results will show that you do not have an STD at this time.  EWH

[mikeglobal]

so just got back from my dermatologist...

given that I have been seeing him a couple times recently (4 months ago & 3 months ago) for some Psoriasis on my face he quickly chalked up the red, painful scrotum i've been having to Genital Psoriasis and gave me a foam steroid to apply to it day and night.

he didn't even bother to look at my scrotum...just wrote the script and moved on...o well.

still a little concerned i picked up an std from my exposure, thinking i'll go get a gohn / clap swab test done

[Edward W Hook, MD]

Thanks.  Please let us know what the dermatologist says.  EWH

[mikeglobal]

and yes, protected oral & vaginal intercourse was only exposure..but not sure of the quality of the condom.

at different points i have used some desonide (steroid) and diaper rash cream (zinc oxide) on the scrotum and both have provided some relief but didn't cure anything...also for a 3 day stretch i did try some OTC jock itch cream which burned and made my whole scrotum & penis peel a layer of skin...very weird so i stopped using it.  the majority of the time though i don't put anything on it and leaving it that way till I see the derm.

[Edward W Hook, MD]

No, the absence of itch and smell oes not rule out fungal infection.

Testicular aching without tenderness is a non-specific finding which is rarely, if ever, due to STD.  Aching without tenderness would not be at all typical of gonorrhea or chlamydial infection or epididymitis.  EWH

[mikeglobal]

appreciate your response dr.

what worries me though is along with the redness there is a dull ache on the left side of scrotum...the testicle isn't tender to touch and doesn't appear to be swelled up but the ache is there...also the scrotum is NOT itchy at all, nor does it smell funky - wouldn't this rule out a fungal infection?

and I don't think it is eczema or psorisis because of the ache which feels like its coming from the inside not the skin.

could testicle pain / red scrotum alone within 2 weeks of exposure ever be considered chlamydia or gohn? from what i've read epydimitis takes a while to surface BUT testilce pain can be an initial symptom of chlamydia...still worried about this.